This archive report was first published on 7 January 2020.
On January 6, 2020, the Trump administration implemented a new rule to restrict the export of certain types of geospatial imagery software from the US. The rule, which affects firms that export such software to countries other than Canada, aims to prevent sensitive technologies from falling into the hands of rival powers like China.
According to James Lewis, a technology expert with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the move is a bid to keep American companies from helping the Chinese develop better AI products that can aid their military. Lewis noted that the rule will likely be welcomed by industry, as it had feared a broader crackdown on exports of most artificial intelligence hardware and software.
The measure covers software that could be used by sensors, drones, and satellites to automate the process of identifying targets for both military and civilian purposes. Lewis described the move as a boon for the industry, as it had been concerned about a more extensive crackdown.
The rule is the first to be finalized by the Commerce Department under a 2018 law that tasked the agency with writing rules to boost oversight of exports of sensitive technology to adversaries like China. The rule will take effect in the US, but American authorities may submit it to international bodies to create a level playing field globally.
As the US government continues to tighten export controls, lawmakers from both parties have expressed frustration over the slow pace of rule-making. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, has urged the Commerce Department to speed up the process.
