Export Controls

In Artificial Intelligence, export controls are legal restrictions on the export, re-export, or transfer of sensitive goods, software, and technology, based on factors such as technical capabilities, destination, recipient, and intended use. In the United States, the Bureau of Industry and Security administers the Export Administration Regulations, which cover many Dual-Use Technologies and support national-security and nonproliferation objectives. AI-relevant examples include advanced-computing Integrated Circuits and Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, controlled according to technical parameters rather than manufacturer. Certain related software and technology may also be restricted, but AI Source Code and Cloud Computing resources are not blanket categories of controlled items. The January 2025 Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion included restrictions on certain closed AI Model Weights; the United States subsequently announced that framework’s rescission and directed non-enforcement, so its provisions should not be presented as generally applicable current requirements. International coordination through arrangements such as the Wassenaar Arrangement promotes transparency and responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, supporting regional and international security and stability and preventing destabilizing accumulations, rather than explicitly seeking to preserve a technological lead.