Former US Officials Detail AI Chip Diffusion Rules for UAE and Middle East

Former US government officials Ben Buchanan and Tantum Collins have detailed the formulation of Washington's 'diffusion rule' governing semiconductor sales to Middle Eastern nations, according to an excerpt from their book 'The Bitter Struggle' published in The Wire China.

Buchanan and Collins wrote that the regulatory framework was drafted under the Biden administration to control the international distribution of advanced American artificial intelligence hardware. The rule was specifically applied to countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which the authors characterized as key US partners that also maintain close relationships with China.

According to the authors, the measures were designed to establish oversight over third-party outsourcing and cloud access to prevent advanced AI technology and high-end semiconductors from being diverted or leaked to Chinese entities.