OpenAI and Google are providing artificial intelligence services to Singapore-based subsidiaries of Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent, a practice that has sparked renewed scrutiny of US AI export controls, according to the Financial Times.

The companies said access is granted through overseas subsidiaries in markets such as Singapore and Hong Kong rather than mainland China, where OpenAI does not offer its services directly.

OpenAI said it recently suspended API access for users linked to Alibaba following suspected attempts to use its models for distillation, while Google said its policies also prohibit the practice.

The arrangements have intensified calls in Washington for tighter export controls on AI models, with some policymakers arguing Chinese firms should be barred from accessing advanced US AI regardless of where their subsidiaries are located.