London, China is a leading force in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and blocking AI research with the country will do more harm than good for humanity, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. In an interview with the BBC, Nadella said that despite national security concerns, backing out of China would "hurt more" than it solved. "A lot of AI research happens in the open and the world benefits from knowledge being open," he said. Quoting Microsoft President Brad Smith, Nadella said: "We know any technology can be a tool or a weapon. The question is, how do you ensure that these weapons don't get created? I think there are multiple mechanisms."