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China AI Industry Alarmed by Travel Curbs as Meta and OpenAI Wage Talent War

Australian Financial Review

ENRICHED

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Date Published
31 May 2026
Priority Score
3
Australian
Yes
Created
31 May 2026, 04:00 am

Authors (1)

Description

Beijing’s efforts to keep top AI researchers at home are tussling with the lure of eye-watering US salaries.

Summary

Beijing's implementation of travel restrictions on top AI talent, including researchers from DeepSeek and Alibaba, signals a tightening of state control over strategic frontier AI capabilities. This geopolitical maneuvering directly impacts the global safety landscape by potentially fragmenting international collaboration on AI safety standards and governance. The heightening 'talent war' between US firms like OpenAI and Chinese labs exacerbates competitive pressures that may cause both nations to prioritize rapid capability development over safety guardrails. These developments reflect a shift toward treating advanced AI as a closed-door national security asset, complicating global efforts to mitigate existential risks through transparent, multi-lateral oversight.

Body

WorldAsiaSoftwarePrint articleJessica SierNorth Asia correspondentMay 31, 2026 – 12.11pmTokyo | China’s artificial intelligence industry has warned that restricting travel by top researchers and executives will make it even harder to compete with American tech giants that offer multimillion-dollar pay packages to the world’s best AI talent.Chinese authorities have reportedly started requiring some leading AI researchers, founders and executives at private companies including DeepSeek and Alibaba to obtain government approval before travelling overseas.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleFollow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out moreRead MoreSoftwareChinaAIOpenAIAnthropicFetching latest articles