Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Microsoft AI China

Microsoft Asks Hundreds of China-Based AI Staff To Consider Relocating Amid US-China Tensions (wsj.com) 36

Posted by msmash from the escalating-tension dept.
Microsoft is asking hundreds of employees in its China-based cloud-computing and AI operations to consider transferring outside the country, as tensions between Washington and Beijing mount around the critical technology. WSJ: Such staff, mostly engineers with Chinese nationality, were recently offered the opportunity to transfer to countries including the U.S., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, people familiar with the matter said. The company is asking about 700 to 800 people [non-paywalled link], who are involved in machine learning and other work related to cloud computing, one of the people said.ÂThe move by one of America's biggest cloud-computing and AI companies comes as the Biden administration seeks to put tighter curbs around China's capability to develop state-of-the-art AI. The White House is considering new rules that would require Microsoft and other U.S. cloud-computing companies to get licenses before giving Chinese customers access to AI chips.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Microsoft Asks Hundreds of China-Based AI Staff To Consider Relocating Amid US-China Tensions More

Microsoft Asks Hundreds of China-Based AI Staff To Consider Relocating Amid US-China Tensions

Comments Filter:

  • A bad move (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) on Thursday May 16, 2024 @10:04AM (#64476637)

    Given that China is known to strong-arm its expats, having these people relocate outside China should not be considered sufficient to alleviate national security concerns unless the company is ready to spy on them on an ongoing basis to ensure they're not compromised by Chinese security services.

    • It's Microsoft. Their OS is spyware. Mission accomplished.

      • It's American spyware subject to control by American agencies. That might not matter to most individuals, but at the national level it is a big difference.

        • You missed the point there. Every single Microsoft employee is spied on through the OS no matter where they are located. That's what telemetry does.

          • Nope, you're obtuse. You and the point seem to be on different continents.

            • You said "unless the company is ready to spy on them on an ongoing basis to ensure they're not compromised by Chinese security services."

              You seem to have forgotten.

              You've been doing pretty well lately, don't backslide.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by gweihir ( 88907 )

        Probably. The Chinese will have the Windows source code anyways though. I know of several organizations that have it and I know people that have done security evaluations on it. The chinese will without doubt qualify for access and there are enough of organizations where they could get it from via spying otherwise. The only way to make it secure against Chinese attacks is not to put in the spyware functionality (like Linux). But that would cost MS money, so all that crap stays in.

    • someone mod this up please

      There have been WAY too many american born chinese who suddenly "become" chinese nationals for their own personal gain and the glory of china

      • I may be wrong, but as I understand matters, China considers anyone born to a Chinese parent to be a Chinese citizen. Thus, if either of your parents are Chinese, so are you.


        And apparently China also refuses to let people resign their Chinese citizenship, so in time everybody on the planet will be Chinese...

        • With regards to the first part, Canada has the same rule - as long as one of your parents still has citizenship at the time of your birth, Canada will consider you Canadian. This doesn't seem particularly strange to me. I assume you spend the rest of your life convincing passport agents of your nationality when they note your place of birth though.

          With regards to the second part, at least officially that is not true. Chinese citizens who have moved abroad can renounce citizenship and if they gain foreign

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It's the US government that is worried, not Microsoft. Microsoft is happy to employ Chinese nationals, the only reason they are moving out of China is because of US government limits on exporting AI tech.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by jonadab ( 583620 )
      Eh, I don't think it's a _bad_ move as such, but I don't know that it'll necessarily accomplish a great deal either.

      Among other things, the CCP can just exit-visa-block anyone they prefer to keep. I mean, they won't do that for mundane run-of-the-mill workers with no strategic significance (because those people can be easily replaced anyhow), but if you've got anybody over there who is perceived to be *important* to the business or to the development of the technology, you may not be able to get them out,

  • Wait...what? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by CEC-P ( 10248912 ) on Thursday May 16, 2024 @10:07AM (#64476651)
    China has the largest language barrier and a higher labor cost then the Philippines and India, not to mention that every single company in China will actively try to scam you. Why the hell did they hire anyone there in the first place? What ever seemed like a good idea with that?

    • Re:Wait...what? (Score:5, Funny)

      by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Thursday May 16, 2024 @10:16AM (#64476675)

      Greed, stupidity and a fundamental non-understanding of security. All things MS is great at.

    • Let me try to explain. Microsoft was trying to make money by selling Windows, Office and other things in China. To do this they needed insight of the market and opening a research center helps. This goes way back to 2000, you know this cold war thing is new and largely pushed by the US. If China was evil why would Empire of the Sun film their most iconic video there and why would China let them? https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Malc ( 1751 )

        If China was evil why would Empire of the Sun film their most iconic video there and why would China let them?

        You sentence is missing grammar or something and doesn't make sense. What are you trying to say?

        What has a film from 1987 that was filmed at Elstree Studios in the United Kingdom, and on location in Shanghai and Spain, got to do with the current situation with China, US and Microsoft?

      • Re:Wait...what? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by cayenne8 ( 626475 ) on Thursday May 16, 2024 @11:26AM (#64476833) Homepage Journal

        ...you know this cold war thing is new and largely pushed by the US.

        Puh-lese.....China's acrimony and antagonistic attitude towards the US is NOTHING new...these levels have being going on at least from the 50's...perhaps as far back as WW2.

        But definitely since the 50's-60's.

        However, for some reason, the Nixon administration thought if we were more inclusive of China with rest of the world and we brought capitalism to them, they'd change.

        They changed their tactics...and used what they could from capitalism to grow their economy, and used our freedoms against us....and have greatly increased their threat level to the US and the rest of the free world.

        Unlike the west...China make LONG term plans....and sticks with them. Sure they may modify the tactics, but the goals remand long term.

        Sadly, the west, can't plan past next Tuesday when it comes to anything meaningful, and it's being used against us.

        • Perhaps Nixon had hoped that China would westernize in a matter of decades. That clearly didn't happen, but they're on the path. The western world didn't reach the point it did in that time span either. It took several centuries and a lot of strife to get there. In 200 years Nixon going to China may be looked at in an entirely different light. The CCP will eventually fall, just like the European monarchies did.

          • Perhaps Nixon had hoped that China would westernize in a matter of decades. That clearly didn't happen, but they're on the path

            Oh for sure, Nixon and Kissinger both thought westernizing China would be a good thing.

            They were wrong...it DID bring them more into the fiscal powerhouse status, but the CCP behind this, is not westernizing, and they use a VERY heavy hand to ensure they don't lose power.

            As I mentioned before...they are using the benefits of more interactions and selling to the west, but using th

            • Yeah they don't care about "tanking" their own people if they get vocal and making the incident disappear within their borders. I mean Tiananmen Square and 1989.

              Even now, in China, most, if not all of those in the 20s and 30s have no clue about that incident.

              And this is not even ancient history - there are colour photos, videos, etc around.

              I really doubt the CCP is going away anytime soon.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

            I wouldn't hold your breath. The CCP is one of the most popular governments in the world. Have a look at this year's Democracy Perception Index, which asks citizens how democratic they think their country is.

            https://www.allianceofdemocrac... [allianceof...racies.org]

            China is number 1 in the world. They aren't even a democracy!

            It turns out that people answer based more on it they think the government is representing and helping them, rather than if they get a vote.

            Obviously a lot of it is due to propaganda, and most people not knowin

      • this cold war thing is new and largely pushed by the US.

        It wasn't the US that militarized the South China Sea, fired missiles into Taiwanese airspace, threatened war with Japan over some uninhabited rocks, crossed the line of control and killed dozens of Indian soldiers, and is supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

  • to late due the laws they own the rights to the IP all ready and can keep the workers from exiting china if they want to.

  • Its easier to perform espionage from your home country to avoid law enforcement
  • Saying NO is not an option citizen.
  • For some people, it's extremely hard to relocate. Family and friend ties plays a big role, so do the expenses. Is Microsoft paying for this relocation? If not, it's simply not reasonable or economically viable

Slashdot Top Deals

1 Angstrom: measure of computer anxiety = 1000 nail-bytes

Close