UK Issues Espionage Alert Over Z.AI Co. Research Ties
The United Kingdom government issued an espionage alert regarding a Chinese research institute that co-funded an AI project involving founders of Z.AI Co.
The Government of the United Kingdom issued an espionage alert regarding the China General Technology Research Institute, accusing the Beijing-based organization of maintaining very strong ties to China's primary spy agency.
The alert follows revelations that four founders of Z.AI Co., a prominent Chinese artificial intelligence company, participated in a nearly four-year AI research project. The project was co-funded by the China General Technology Research Institute and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, overlapping with the founding of Z.AI Co. in 2019.
A 78-page report detailing the project's findings indicates that one Z.AI founder served as a project leader alongside an engineer from the China General Technology Research Institute. Three other founders of the company contributed to the research during the project's duration.
