China is reportedly preparing to further tighten exit controls on personnel in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. According to Bloomberg, the proposed measures would require certain employees working on AI-related roles in private companies to obtain government approval before leaving the country. Affected firms are said to include major technology companies such as Alibaba and DeepSeek.
The report said the new rules would not be limited to staff in state-owned institutions, but would also extend for the first time to private-sector employees, startup founders, and relevant technical specialists. This suggests that Chinese authorities are treating AI talent as a strategically valuable national asset. While no specific list of individuals or job classifications has been released, informed sources said assessments would not be based solely on job titles or company categories, but rather on an individual’s actual influence on China’s AI development.
The measures are described as a further tightening of existing rules. Previously, some AI engineers were required to declare overseas travel but were still able to travel relatively freely once approved. Under the new system, they may face significantly stricter restrictions, potentially requiring prior permission before departure.
In fact, China has previously imposed exit controls on personnel in certain sensitive sectors, such as nuclear scientists and senior executives of state-owned enterprises. However, extending similar restrictions to employees of private technology companies is relatively rare, and reflects the increasing strategic importance of the AI industry in national policy.
Commentary:
The policy inevitably draws comparisons with recent reports that China blocked Meta’s attempt to acquire Manus, an AI startup founded in China, in order to prevent core technology and talent from moving overseas, with its two founders even reportedly restricted from leaving the country. The latest tightening also reflects that AI is no longer viewed purely as an industrial or national security issue, but increasingly intersects with questions of human rights and individual freedom.
On the other hand, such restrictions may also produce unintended consequences. In an increasingly competitive global AI landscape where companies worldwide are aggressively offering high salaries to attract talent, overly strict controls on mobility and travel could weaken China’s ability to attract both international and domestic top-tier talent. It may even encourage some AI engineers to leave earlier or pursue careers overseas. In the long term, this could not only reduce talent mobility but also place pressure on China’s innovation ecosystem and technological competitiveness.