OpenAI Blocks Users in China, Why?

OpenAI is reportedly planning to block people using the ChatGPT service in China. This is because ChatGPT is not officially available in the country, but users there and its developers can still access it through the company's API.

The government-owned newspaper Securities Times reported on Tuesday (25/6) that OpenAI had started sending emails to users in China explaining its plans to block access starting on July 9, 2024.

"We are taking additional steps to block API traffic from regions that do not support access to OpenAI services," said an OpenAI spokesperson in the publication as quoted by Engadget.

OpenAI's move is seen to impact some startups in China that have built applications using OpenAI language models. While OpenAI's services are available in more than 160 countries, China is not one of them.

According to the company's guidelines, users attempting to access the company's products in unsupported countries may be blocked or suspended, although they have not explicitly done so up to this point.

It is unclear what has prompted OpenAI's move. Last month, the company revealed that they had ceased operations of covert influence, including those originating from China using its AI model to spread misinformation on the internet.

Bloomberg indicates that OpenAI's move coincides with the pressure from the United States (US) on its tech companies to restrict China's access to advanced technology developed in the US.