Earlier this year, OpenAI stopped offering its products and services to developers in China. At that time, Microsoft said it would continue to offer its Azure OpenAI Service in China and would continue to provide access to eligible customers in the country via models deployed in regions outside of China. Since then, Microsoft"s Azure OpenAI was the only way for developers to access OpenAI"s latest models.
Microsoft has started sending email notices to developers in China that it will stop serving the Azure OpenAI service to individual developers in mainland China from October 21st. Microsoft mentioned that it is discontinuing the Azure OpenAI service in China due to regulatory requirements. It is important to note that Microsoft"s Azure OpenAI service will still be available for enterprise users.
Chinese developers are already increasingly using locally developed AI services from Baidu, Alibaba, and others. This new move from Microsoft will further discourage Chinese developers from using US-based AI services.
Apart from AI developer services, popular consumer-facing AI services like ChatGPT and Gemini are also not available in China. Due to the Chinese government"s strict policies around censorship and other critical areas, leading US companies cannot expand their services to the Chinese market.
Chinese President Xi Jinping last year discussed the global rise of artificial intelligence with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. During the meeting, he welcomed U.S. technology companies, including Microsoft, to bring their AI technology to China. It remains to be seen whether China will implement any policy changes regarding the same.
The future of US-based AI services in China remains uncertain. It is unclear whether the Chinese government will adjust its policies to allow companies like Microsoft and OpenAI to offer their services to the broader Chinese market. This situation highlights the complexities and challenges faced by US tech companies seeking to operate in China"s tightly regulated digital landscape.
Via: ITHome