BIS Should Be Imposing More Export Controls on China's AI Suppliers, Republicans Say
The Bureau of Industry and Security hasn’t done enough to restrict exports of sensitive technologies to Chinese artificial intelligence companies, Republican senators said in a Nov. 15 letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The senators urged BIS to “expeditiously review and then add” to the Entity List all A.I. suppliers to China’s military, including those listed in a recent report by Georgetown University. In a report last month, university researchers said very few A.I. suppliers to China face specific U.S. export controls (see 2110290018).
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“Despite the pressing need to restrict the [People’s Liberation Army] advancement in key technology areas, our government has done little to impede the flow of U.S. exports and investment to Chinese AI companies with PLA ties,” said the letter, signed by Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Marco Rubio of Florida.
The lawmakers asked BIS to explain why it has “failed to identify foundational technologies and a comprehensive range of emerging technologies” under the Export Control Reform Act, even though the U.S. intelligence community “can identify core technologies vital to the United States’ competition with China.” It also asked why all of the 237 A.I. suppliers listed in the Georgetown report aren’t “already" on the Entity List and whether BIS plans to add them to the list.
A Commerce spokesperson said the agency has imposed controls on nearly 40 emerging technologies. "There is ample evidence of progress made and ongoing by the Commerce Department in identifying emerging and foundational technologies," the spokesperson said Nov. 17.