The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has taken new measures to freeze artificial intelligence software exports as part of an effort to keep sensitive technologies out of the hands of competing powers such as China.

Under a new law in effect on Monday, companies that export certain types of geospatial picture software from the United States must apply for a license to send them abroad only when they are shipped to Canada.

The measure is the first of its kind to be finalized by the Ministry of Commerce under a mandate from a law in 2018, which mandated the agency to set rules to strengthen controls on exports of sensitive technology to its opponents such as China for economic and security reasons.

Reuters reported that the Ministry of Commerce was putting the final touches on a set of specific laws to restrict these exports, making the American industry breathe a sigh of relief after it was afraid to impose a more severe campaign on sales abroad.

The new law comes into force in the United States alone, but US authorities can later submit it to international bodies to try to create an alliance at the global level.

This comes amid growing disappointment from Republican and Democratic lawmakers due to the slow implementation of laws tightening export controls, as Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer urged the Commerce Department to speed up the process.

Source : James Andrew Lewis