Saudi Deal With Huawei for Arabic-Specific AI Risks U.S. Ire

Vivian Nereim, Bloomberg News

Visitors wearing protective masks sit in front of a screen displaying the logos of Qualcomm Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co. at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. China will invest an estimated $1.4 trillion over six years to 2025, calling on urban governments and private tech giants to lay fifth generation wireless networks, install cameras and sensors, and develop AI software that will underpin autonomous driving to automated factories and mass surveillance, according to the National People's Congress Work Report released in May. , Photographer: Bloomberg/Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia said it would partner with Huawei Technologies Co. to develop Arabic-language recognition in artificial intelligence, potentially putting the kingdom at odds with the U.S., a key partner that’s pushing its allies to avoid the Chinese company.

Majid Altuwaijri, chief executive of the kingdom’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence, announced the memorandum of understanding during a virtual conference alongside Charles Yang, Huawei’s Middle East regional president.

Altuwaijri said that researchers from Saudi Arabia and Huawei would develop “state of the art products that will support humanity,” focusing on artificial intelligence technology “specialized in the Arabic language.”

U.S. officials argue Huawei is a threat to security for the fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless systems beginning to be deployed around the world. Because Huawei is subject to control by China’s ruling Communist Party, it can be compelled by law to cooperate with the country’s security apparatus, and has been implicated in espionage, according to the State Department.

Huawei has denied allegations of spying, saying it would lose customers if it weren’t trustworthy. The Shenzhen-based company says it’s a private business that can’t be directed by Beijing, and that no Chinese law requires private national companies to engage in cyber-espionage.

(Updates with context on tensions over Huawei from first paragraph.)