The curbs group Poland with countries such as Mongolia and Nigeria, while Western Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea remain exempt.
The measures, introduced by Washington, cap annual AI chip imports for Poland and certain other nations, including Portugal and Switzerland, at 50,000 units—with an option to double that figure. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the goal is to create a “trusted technological ecosystem” safeguarding national security against AI threats.
Two senior European Commission officials—Vice President for Technological Sovereignty and Vice President Maroš Šefčovič—criticized the restrictions, arguing that U.S.-EU collaboration should be “free of constraints” and serve mutual security needs. Critics in Poland worry the limits could hinder the country’s AI competitiveness and send a negative signal about its standing in global innovation.
Piotr Sankowski, a prominent AI expert from the University of Warsaw, lamented Poland’s placement in “second category” status. He noted that top-tier nations remain unrestricted, enabling them to acquire the most powerful AI chips without artificial caps.
Observers also point out that Poland’s current public investment in AI may not approach the 50,000-chip threshold, but the classification raises concerns about the country’s long-term research ambitions.
(jh)
Source: Onet