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Ai Deals With Gulf States Spark Security Concerns Over China Access
Washington, D.c. – Recent multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence (Ai) agreements between the United States and Gulf nations, particularly the United Arab Emirates (Uae) and Saudi Arabia, have ignited a fierce debate. While lauded by some as a strategic move to bolster the Us tech sector and expand its influence in the Ai arena, others are sounding alarms about potential national security risks, especially concerning China’s possible “backdoor” access to advanced Ai technology.
the Concern centers on whether adequate safeguards are in place to prevent sensitive Ai chips and data from being diverted to China, given the close economic ties between Gulf states and Beijing.This issue has divided tech industry leaders and national security hawks, raising questions about the long-term implications for Us technological dominance.
Inside The Ai Deals: A closer Look
During a recent trip to the Middle East, President Trump secured deals aimed at supplying advanced Us chips and constructing massive data centers in the region. Notably,one agreement involves creating the largest Ai campus outside the United States in the Uae,while another grants the Gulf country expanded access to cutting-edge Ai chips.
The White House has promoted these agreements as a strategic effort to solidify Us leadership in the Ai sector. Commerce Secretary Howard W. Lutnick hailed the Uae agreement as the launch of “an historic middle eastern partnership on Ai,” marking a pivotal step toward President trump’s vision for Us Ai supremacy.
To address security concerns, the White House asserts that the Uae has committed to “stringent measures” to prevent technology diversion and ensure controlled access.However, skepticism persists among experts and Democratic lawmakers.
Democrats Urge Scrutiny; Republicans Voice Concern
A Group of Senate Democrats recently pressed Commerce Secretary Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to intensify scrutiny of the Ai deals. In a letter, the senators cautioned that these agreements represent “a breathtaking rollback of export control restrictions” that could undermine the Us’s technological advantage in the Ai race. They called for robust guardrails on sales to Saudi Arabia and the Uae to prevent sensitive technology from falling into the hands of China and Russia.
Echoing these concerns,Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, emphasized the need for secure ai technology leadership. “The Ccp is actively seeking indirect access to our top tech. Deals like this require scrutiny and verifiable guardrails,” he stated.
Expert Insights: Weighing The Risks And Rewards
To delve deeper into the implications of these Ai deals, The Cipher Brief spoke with Janet egan, a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (Cnas), and Georgia Adamson, a Research Associate at the Csis Wadhwani Ai Center. they shared their perspectives on the security challenges and strategic considerations.
The Challenge Of Maintaining Us Ai Leadership
Egan highlighted the importance of safeguarding us interests through robust security measures. She noted that Ai’s dual-use capabilities necessitate export controls and competition with China to maintain Us leadership. While the Us has been a frontrunner in Ai models and computational resources, domestic constraints are hindering the expansion of data centers.
Egan also raised concerns about the regulatory environment in the Uae and Saudi Arabia, which allows for rapid policy changes to serve national interests. She questioned how the Us can ensure its continued leadership and prevent chip diversion to countries like China, a major trading partner of both Gulf states.
The uae’s Ambitions And The China Factor
Adamson emphasized the Uae’s determination to become a global Ai leader, backed by notable energy capacity and financial investment. This ambition positions the Uae as a key player in the Us-china competition.
Adamson also addressed the national security question of how the United States should engage with emerging powers such as the Uae, which have close ties to China. Us companies operating in the Uae see opportunities for accessing necessary energy and capital, but concerns persist about potential backdoors for China to access advanced computing power.
National Security Concerns: Potential pathways For China
Adamson pointed out that the Uae and Saudi Arabia have extensive economic ties with China, including in emerging technologies. Some Washington analysts fear that exporting chips to the Gulf could provide China with access to cutting-edge computing that is or else blocked by export controls.
While companies involved in these deals emphasize strict security controls, including barring Chinese nationals from data centers, Adamson stressed the need for thorough monitoring and verification by the Commerce Department. Once chips are exported, ensuring their secure use becomes paramount.
Egan identified two primary ways China could access these technologies: chip smuggling and cloud access. While export diversion can be managed through inspections and tracking technologies, cloud access poses a more significant challenge. Ensuring that Ccp-linked actors are not using these data centers for nefarious purposes requires enhanced due diligence.
Balancing Security And Economic goals
Egan emphasized the necessity of know-your-customer regimes to prevent misuse of computing resources. She drew parallels with the banking sector’s efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. Currently, there are no comprehensive obligations to understand who is utilizing computing resources, making it challenging to prevent misuse, especially when obligations are outsourced to other countries.
adamson noted that the Trump management’s revocation of the Ai diffusion rule has created uncertainty about security controls.while the administration has pledged security commitments, the specifics remain vague. The next step involves defining and implementing a “trust-but-verify” approach.
Can Strategic And Economic Goals Align With Security?
Egan acknowledged the difficulty but not impossibility of implementing and enforcing sufficient guardrails. This requires dedicated effort and resources from the Us government. While it is indeed reasonable for the Us to be a partner of choice in compute infrastructure, it is crucial to maintain leadership in data centers to drive new capabilities with national security implications.
Adamson noted Saudi Arabia’s significant Ai ambitions, including the establishment of a $100 billion investment vehicle called Humain to develop Ai infrastructure. Us hyperscalers such as Google, Aws, Amd,
