Big Tech Loves China: Microsoft Signed Partnerships with Chinese State Media for Technology Including AI

Newly uncovered documents have exposed Microsoft’s partnerships with Chinese state-run media outlets, raising concerns about the tech giant’s involvement in the dissemination of state propaganda.

The Washington Free Beacon reports that documents reveal the extent of partnerships Microsoft formed with Chinese state-run media outlets, including China Daily and People’s Daily, which are recognized as propaganda arms of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These collaborations, previously unreported, were forged in 2016 and 2018 and involved Microsoft providing advanced technology and AI capabilities to these outlets.

China Daily, under the CCP’s Central Propaganda Department, received technology from Microsoft to target and profile users, while People’s Daily was granted access to Microsoft’s AI chatbot, Xiaoice, tailored to be controlled and censored by the CCP. Despite these agreements reportedly expiring years ago, they highlight the extent to which American technology firms, like Microsoft, have engaged with entities closely linked to a government known for its strict media control and propaganda dissemination.