US may restrict partnerships with China as battle over artificial intelligence heats up

The US government may start scrutinizing informal partnerships between American and Chinese companies in the field of artificial intelligence, threatening practices that have long been considered garden variety development work for technology companies, sources familiar with the discussions said. So far, US government reviews for national security and other concerns have been limited to investment deals and corporate takeovers. This possible new expansion of the mandate -- which would serve as a stop-gap measure until Congress imposes tighter restrictions on Chinese investments -- is being pushed by members of Congress, and those in US President Donald Trump's administration who worry about theft of intellectual property and technology transfer to China, according to four people familiar with the matter. Artificial intelligence, in which machines imitate intelligent human behavior, is a particular area of interest because of the technology's potential for military usage, they said. Other areas of interest for such new oversight include semiconductors and autonomous vehicles, they added.