Chinese government agencies begin imposing overseas travel restrictions on individuals involved in advanced AI work, including at Alibaba and DeepSeek

China is clamping down on its AI brain trust. Government agencies have started imposing overseas travel restrictions on individuals working in advanced artificial intelligence at private companies, according to Bloomberg sources.

The restrictions target professionals at some of China's most prominent AI players, including Alibaba and DeepSeek — the startup that rattled Silicon Valley earlier with its surprisingly capable models.

The move signals Beijing's growing concern about talent and intellectual property leaking beyond its borders. As the US-China AI race intensifies, China appears to be treating its top AI researchers less like corporate employees and more like national security assets.

Details on the scope of the restrictions remain thin. It's unclear how many individuals are affected or whether the travel bans extend beyond Alibaba and DeepSeek to other firms in China's rapidly expanding AI ecosystem.