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Biden signs executive order restricting U.S. investment in some Chinese technology

The United States government cites security concerns over a new tech executive order from President Biden.

Donovan Erskine

August 9, 2023 2:20 PM

The White House

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There have been a lot of recent concerns about AI and the increasing number of companies investing resources into the technology. It’s something that’s also gotten onto the radar of national governments, and has prompted affirmative action from leadership in the United States. President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to regulate the country’s investment in the Chinese development of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence.

We learned of Biden’s new executive order through a recent report from CNBC. According to administration officials that spoke with the publication, the executive order is specifically targeted at semiconductors, quantum computing, and some AI tech. The government is concerned that investments from American bodies toward the development of these technologies in China could potentially pose a threat to national security.

“What we are talking about is a narrow and thoughtful approach as we seek to prevent the People’s Republic of China from obtaining and using the most advanced technologies to promote military modernization and undermining U.S. national security,” said one of the senior officials that CNBC spoke with. “We recognize the cross-border investment flows have long contributed to U.S. economic vitality. This executive order protects our national security interests in a narrowly targeted manner while maintaining our long-standing commitment to open investment.”

While many have speculated and warned the dangers that advanced AI could pose to civilization, it’s quite significant to know that even the United States government sees it as a potential security threat.

The executive order is set to go into effect in 2024. Once that happens, American companies and individuals investing in the aforementioned Chinese technologies will be required to notify the United States government. Be sure to bookmark our technology topic page for the most interesting tech stories around the world.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_