Exclusive: Beijing is looking at curbing overseas access to China's top AI models, sources say

Chinese authorities have held meetings with Alibaba, ByteDance and Z.ai over the past month about potentially restricting overseas access to China's most advanced AI models, according to sources. The meetings, led by the Ministry of Commerce, discussed limits on both closed-source and open-weight models.

No specific timeline for any potential restrictions was disclosed. The discussions are part of broader concerns about technology transfer and national security. China has previously imposed controls on AI chips and other sensitive technologies. The companies involved declined to comment or did not respond to requests.

The move, if implemented, would mark a significant shift from China's previous approach of promoting open-source AI models globally. The impact on the global AI ecosystem would depend on the scope and enforcement of any new rules.