SHANGHAI: US tech giant Amazon has closed its artificial intelligence research lab in Shanghai, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The lab, part of Amazon Web Services (AWS), was disbanded as AI becomes a key battleground in US-China tech competition.
A WeChat post by Wang Minjie, a scientist at the lab, stated the closure was due to “strategic adjustment between China and the United States.”
The post circulated widely on Chinese social media this week.
AWS recently announced job cuts, with reports suggesting hundreds of positions were affected.
Amazon did not directly confirm the Shanghai lab’s shutdown when contacted but acknowledged broader restructuring.
“We’ve made the difficult business decision to eliminate some roles across particular teams in AWS,“ said spokesman Brad Glasser.
“These decisions are necessary as we continue to invest, hire, and optimize resources.”
The AWS China webpage for the lab, previously accessible, was taken down this week.
Archived records show the lab was launched in 2018 to foster research collaboration.
Other US tech firms, including Microsoft and IBM, have also reduced research operations in China as geopolitical tensions persist. - AFP
