China restricts overseas travel for top AI talent at Alibaba and DeepSeek, Bloomberg News reports
Authorities are requiring approval for some AI founders, researchers and executives as Beijing tightens controls to protect sensitive technology and talent.
- China is restricting overseas travel for top AI professionals at private firms including Alibaba and DeepSeek, requiring approval from authorities before embarking on international trips.
- The restrictions escalate longstanding Chinese efforts to safeguard technology following the Manus acquisition, which provoked backlash about technology and talent loss after the firm relocated to Singapore.
- Authorities assess strategic importance to the country rather than relying on job seniority or employer status, while some private sector AI engineers have previously reported overseas travel plans.
- The Financial Times reported authorities barred two Manus co-founders from leaving during an acquisition investigation, though DeepSeek, Alibaba and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology declined to comment.
- Talent retention has become central to China's broader AI development strategy as most Chinese expertise concentrated in tech giants and private startups emerged after ChatGPT's introduction, positioning the country to compete with the US.
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China restricts overseas travel for top AI talent at Alibaba and DeepSeek, Bloomberg News reports
China is restricting overseas travel for top professionals involved in advanced and strategically important AI work at firms like Alibaba Group Holding and DeepSeek, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
China Expands Travel Curbs to Top AI Talent at Private Firms
China is restricting overseas travel for top AI professionals in private firms such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and DeepSeek, suggesting an escalation in measures intended to safeguard its technology and catch up to the US in a pivotal sphere.
Beijing has begun restricting international travel for top AI specialists working in the private sector—including employees of giants like Alibaba and the creators of the infamous DeepSeek neural network. While strict travel controls previously applied only to nuclear scientists, government officials, and top managers of state-owned corporations, elite AI developers are now officially considered strategic resources of the state.
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