G42 boss says it was not easy to cut ties with Chinese companies

Emirates technology company G42's decision to cut ties with Chinese businesses has not been easy, its CEO said on Monday. G42 had accepted constraints imposed on it to work with U.S. companies, he said, citing the potential of AI "for both good and harm" and the need for governments to safeguard the technology.

Emirates technology company G42's decision to cut ties with Chinese businesses has not been easy, its CEO said on Monday. The company wants to continue working with U.S. companies in its efforts to stay at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, but a U.S. lawmaker had raised concerns about business links between the Emirati company and state-linked Chinese businesses.

"It was not easy," Peng Xiao said during an on-stage interview at the World Government Summit in Dubai. G42 had accepted constraints imposed on it to work with U.S. companies, he said, citing the potential of AI "for both good and harm" and the need for governments to safeguard the technology.