乾明 夏乙 问耕 发自 凹非寺
量子位 报道 | 公众号 QbitAI

The United States launched another set of Seven Injury Fists.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has just released an export control framework for key technologies and related products, and will begin soliciting public opinions on export controls on these emerging technologies.

The consultation period will begin on November 19th local time in the United States, which is tonight Beijing time, and the deadline is December 19th.

The framework states that the export of dual-use and less sensitive military products from the United States will be regulated, mainly identifying exports involving national security and high technology .

AI, chips, robots, quantum computing, brain-computer interfaces, biotechnology and other cutting-edge technologies are all included in this list.

Although no specific countries were mentioned, according to the current market structure and import and export status, China is the country most directly affected.

Of course, once this punch is thrown, it hurts others as well as oneself. Some comments immediately pointed out: Silicon Valley will also be under pressure. Is it aimed at China, or will it be a blow to Silicon Valley?

Technology Export Controls

The U.S. Department of Commerce said the framework was based on the Export Control Reform Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 2018.

In accordance with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the export of dual-use and less sensitive military products is regulated, mainly identifying exports involving national security and high-tech areas.

The agency is currently headed by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security.

BIS mainly regulates specific export commodities through the Commerce Control List (CCL).

The control list contains sensitive goods and sensitive technologies; items on the export list require prior approval from the Ministry of Commerce.

All goods that have an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) on the control list and are not exempted are subject to export control.

Once an emerging or foundational technology is identified, the bill authorizes the Department of Commerce to establish controls, including temporary controls, on the export, reexport, or (in-country) transfer of that technology.

In determining the appropriate level of export controls, the Department must consider the potential end uses and end users of the technology, as well as the countries to which exports are restricted (e.g., embargoed countries).

Therefore, this request for comments will help the Department of Commerce and other agencies review and assess emerging technologies to update export control lists without compromising national security or hampering the United States’ ability to keep pace with international developments in emerging areas.

Now, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security has issued an advance notice of the policy, listing 14 areas the government is considering regulating, which are the following “representative technology categories.”

“Representative Technology Category”

1. Biotechnology, for example:

(i) Nanobiology;
(ii) Synthetic biology;
(iii) Genomics and genetic engineering;
(iv) Neuroscience.

2. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies, such as:

(i) Neural networks and deep learning (e.g., brain simulation, time series prediction, classification);
(ii) Evolutionary and genetic computing (e.g., genetic algorithms, genetic programming);
(iii) Reinforcement learning;
(iv) Computer vision (e.g., object recognition, image understanding);
(v) Expert systems (e.g., decision support systems, teaching systems);
(vi) Speech and audio processing (e.g., speech recognition and production);
(vii) Natural language processing (e.g., machine translation);
(viii) Planning (e.g., scheduling, game playing);
(ix) Audio and video processing technologies (e.g., voice cloning, deepfakes);
(x) AI cloud technologies;
(xi) AI chipsets.

3. Positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technology.

4. Microprocessor technology, such as:

(i) System on chip (SoC);
(ii) On-chip stacked memory.

5. Advanced computing technologies, such as:

(i) Memory-centric logic.

6. Data analysis techniques, such as:

(i) Visualization;
(ii) Automatic analysis algorithms;
(iii) Context-aware computing.

7. Quantum information and sensing technologies, such as:

(i) Quantum computing;
(ii) Quantum encryption;
(iii) Quantum sensing.

8. Logistics technology, such as:

(i) Mobile power systems;
(ii) Modelling and simulation systems;
(iii) Total asset visibility;
(iv) Distribution-based logistics systems (DBLS).

9. Additive manufacturing (such as 3D printing) .

10. Robots, such as:

(i) Micro-UAVs and micro-robotic systems;
(ii) Swarm technology;
(iii) Self-assembling robots;
(iv) Molecular robots;
(v) Robot compilers;
(vi) Smart dust.

11. Brain-computer interfaces, such as:

(i) Neural control interface;
(ii) Mind-machine interface;
(iii) Direct neural interface;
(iv) Brain-computer interface.

12. Hypersonic aerodynamics, for example:

(i) Flight control algorithms;
(ii) Propulsion technology;
(iii) Thermal protection systems;
(iv) Specialized materials (for structures, sensors, etc.).

13. Advanced materials, such as:

(i) Adaptive camouflage;
(ii) Functional textiles (e.g. advanced fiber and fabric technologies);
(iii) Biomaterials.

14. Advanced monitoring technologies, such as:

Faceprint and voiceprint technology.

The U.S. government believes that technology export controls are an important way to protect sensitive U.S. technology.

The United States' dual-use or less sensitive military technologies are managed by the Bureau of Industry and Security under export control regulations such as the Commerce Control List, but the emerging technologies listed above are basically not included.

This time, they want to measure the impact of these emerging technologies on national security and select which technologies have a significant impact on national security, such as those that can be used in conventional weapons, intelligence collection, weapons of mass destruction or terrorist activities.

In short, any technology that can enable the United States to maintain its leading position in military and intelligence must not be missed.

The Ministry of Commerce said in a previous notice that in the process of reviewing emerging and foundational technologies, it will consider the development of these technologies abroad, the impact that export controls may have on the development of such technologies in the United States, and the effectiveness of export controls in limiting the spread of these emerging technologies abroad.

The purpose of soliciting opinions is to provide more information for the entire process.

To view details, please click " Read original text " in the lower left corner.

Tightening US policy

Even if you don't pay attention to the confrontation between countries, you must have noticed that things have changed.

In the high-tech field, regulations are being tightened. Various relevant departments in the United States are trying various new policies, some of which are still in the works, some have been temporarily shelved, and some have already been implemented.

Here I will just give some examples of the situation this year.

In April, Reuters reported that the US government may begin to restrict informal cooperation between Chinese and American companies in the field of artificial intelligence because they are worried that "if no measures are taken, Chinese companies will become stronger and stronger and challenge our companies within 10-15 years."

The U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary revealed that they are evaluating whether this bill can be used to restrict Chinese companies' investment in "sensitive technologies" in the United States.

In May, the Trump administration established a special committee on AI. The mission of this special committee is to coordinate the federal government's efforts in AI and ensure that the United States maintains its leading position in the field of AI.

In August, the U.S. Department of Defense launched a new plan, preparing to invest $1.7 billion (about 11.5 billion yuan) in a five-year AI plan and establish a corresponding new agency to operate it.

The New York Times revealed that then-US Defense Secretary Mattis sent a memo to Trump, pleading with the US president to develop a national strategy for artificial intelligence. Mattis pointed out that the United States has not kept up with China's ambitious AI plans.

In October, the Financial Times also revealed a particularly outrageous news: the US government is considering prohibiting Chinese citizens from obtaining student visas. Although this was not implemented in the end.

In fact, it is not just aimed at China.

The United States' openness has been tightening. A few days ago, Bloomberg columnist Noah Smith shared a set of data showing that as the United States becomes more conservative, the growth rate of the proportion of overseas students in universities is declining sharply.

Meanwhile, Canada's appeal has skyrocketed.

Jeff Dean, head of Google AI, is worried about this. He said that allowing the world's best and brightest students to come to the United States for further studies is the key to the United States' success in many technological and scientific fields.