NextFin News — China is requiring top artificial intelligence professionals at private companies including Alibaba Group and DeepSeek to obtain government approval before traveling abroad, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg.
The restrictions apply to individuals engaged in advanced AI work deemed strategically important. Those affected include a mix of startup founders, researchers and executives. The measures extend longstanding controls previously applied mainly to university researchers, nuclear scientists and state-owned enterprise executives into the private-sector AI workforce.
The full scope across the industry, including exact seniority levels and roles covered, remains unclear. The steps reflect the treatment of leading AI engineers as strategic assets amid efforts to safeguard technology.
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