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Microsoft turns to the Middle East for its latest bet on AI
CNN
Microsoft will invest $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi’s G42, an artificial intelligence group that has faced questions over its ties to China.
Microsoft will invest $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi’s G42, an artificial intelligence group that has faced questions over its ties to China. The companies will collaborate on AI and digital infrastructure, in a move that sees Microsoft’s AI empire expand into the Middle East for the first time. The move could attract sizeable scrutiny from regulators. G42 — led by Peng Xiao, a Chinese businessman and former CEO of Pegasus, a cybersecurity firm — has reportedly faced questions over its links to Beijing. In November, the New York Times reported that US officials were concerned G42 could be used to share American technology and data with the Chinese government. Xiao denied those claims, calling them “misinformation” in an interview with CNN in January. G42 and Microsoft say they have committed to comply with US and international trade rules as part of their partnership.
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