The United States has excluded Switzerland from a list of allied nations granted unlimited access to advanced artificial intelligence computer chips, sparking concerns in the Alpine nation's research and business communities.
Under new export rules announced by the US Department of Commerce, only 18 countries deemed trustworthy allies - including France, Germany, and Japan - will have unrestricted access to powerful AI processors manufactured exclusively by American companies. Switzerland has been placed in a secondary group facing quota restrictions once the regulations take effect in four months.
Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin expressed frustration over the decision, calling it "difficult to understand" given Switzerland's strong research institutions like ETH that produce innovations beneficial to American interests. The restriction could impact Swiss academic research and companies heavily reliant on AI technology.
"We need to understand if this stems from security concerns or aims to slow development in Switzerland," Parmelin stated in an interview. Swiss officials have initiated discussions with US authorities to potentially gain unrestricted access status.
The move appears primarily targeted at preventing China and other rival nations from acquiring cutting-edge AI technology, including through foreign subsidiaries. However, no official explanation was provided for Switzerland's exclusion from the trusted allies list.
Olga Baranova, Secretary General of technology policy group CH++, emphasized Switzerland's dependence on US-dominated chip supplies and urged the government to prove its reliability as a trustworthy partner to Washington.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs is analyzing potential impacts on Swiss institutions while highlighting that major US tech companies with research centers in Switzerland, like Google, also rely heavily on these chips.
While Switzerland will maintain some access to the processors under a quota system, the restrictions mark a notable shift in US export policy toward a longtime neutral European partner.