#techwar

एक समय टेक उद्योगकै सबैभन्दा चर्चित AI साझेदारी मानिएको OpenAI र Apple बीचको सम्बन्ध अहिले गम्भीर तनावमा पुगेको छ। दुई वर्ष अघि भएको यस साझेदारीबाट अपेक्षित लाभ नपाएको भन्दै OpenAI ले कानुनी कदम उठाउने तयारी गरिरहेको बताइएको छ।

के भयो साझेदारीमा? सन् २०२४ को WWDC मा सार्वजनिक गरिएको यस सम्झौताअन्तर्गत ChatGPT लाई Apple को Siri र Visual Intelligence फिचरसँग जोडिएको थियो। OpenAI ले यस सम्बन्धबाट iOS, iPadOS र macOS मा गहिरो एकीकरण र त्यसबाट वार्षिक अर्बौं डलर बराबरको सदस्यता आम्दानी हुने अपेक्षा राखेको थियो। तर वास्तविकता भिन्न रह्यो।

एक अनाम OpenAI अधिकारीले यस सम्झौतालाई "असफलता" भन्दै भने "हामीले उत्पादन पक्षबाट सबै गर्यौं, तर उनीहरूले गरेनन्, र झन् इमान्दार प्रयाससमेत गरेनन्।"

Apple को रणनीतिमा बदलाव Apple ले Google Gemini र Anthropic को Claude सँग पनि AI एकीकरणका छलफल अगाडि बढाएपछि OpenAI को भूमिका थप सीमित हुने संकेत देखिएको छ। OpenAI विशेष गरी यस कुरामा असन्तुष्ट छ कि Apple ले भविष्यमा विभिन्न तृतीय पक्ष AI सेवाहरूलाई Apple Intelligence मा प्रत्यक्ष रूपमा जोड्न दिने योजना बनाएको छ।

कानुनी विकल्पको खोजी OpenAI ले बाह्य कानुनी फर्मसँग मिलेर सम्झौता उल्लङ्घनको औपचारिक सूचना पठाउनेदेखि मुद्दा दायर गर्नेसम्मका विभिन्न विकल्पहरूमा काम गरिरहेको छ। यद्यपि Elon Musk विरुद्धको चलिरहेको मुद्दा टुङ्गिएपछि मात्र Apple विरुद्ध कदम चाल्ने सम्भावना छ।

दुवै पक्षका गुनासो Apple तर्फबाट पनि OpenAI को गोपनीयता मापदण्डप्रति चिन्ता जनाइएको थियो, किनकि Apple ले आफ्नो प्रणालीलाई on-device processing र Private Cloud Compute मार्फत सुरक्षित राख्ने नीति अपनाएको छ। यसका अतिरिक्त, OpenAI ले पूर्व Apple डिजाइनर Jony Ive को नेतृत्वमा AI हार्डवेयर विकासमा लागेकोले Apple लाई प्रतिस्पर्धीको रूपमा हेर्न थालेको पनि बताइएको छ।

अगाडि के हुन्छ? आगामी जुन ८ मा हुने WWDC 2026 मा Apple ले iOS 27 सार्वजनिक गर्ने अपेक्षा छ, जसमा Siri लाई Gemini र Claude लगायत अन्य AI मोडेलसँग जोड्ने फिचर समावेश हुन सक्छ। यसले OpenAI को भूमिका झन् कमजोर हुने सङ्केत दिन्छ।

Silicon Valley को यो तनावपूर्ण विभाजनले AI क्षेत्रमा गठबन्धन र प्रतिस्पर्धा एकसाथ कति जटिल हुन सक्छ भन्ने स्पष्ट उदाहरण पेस गर्दछ।

China has unveiled a new set of export regulations on rare earth elements, tightening control over critical materials used in advanced technologies, defence systems, and semiconductor manufacturing.

The Ministry of Commerce said the measures were introduced “to safeguard national security” and formalise existing restrictions on the export of rare earth processing technologies and overseas cooperation. The new rules are expected to curb exports to foreign arms manufacturers and select semiconductor firms, further intensifying ongoing trade frictions with the United States.

The decision comes ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump later this month, where trade and technology issues are set to dominate the agenda.

Tightened Licensing and Technology Controls

Under the new regulations, mining, refining, magnet manufacturing, and recycling technologies related to rare earths can only be exported with explicit government approval. Chinese firms are also prohibited from collaborating with foreign entities in these areas without prior authorisation.

Beijing had already placed several rare earths and related materials on its export control list in April, sparking supply disruptions in global markets. The latest move, however, clearly identifies restricted technologies and processes — including smelting, magnetic material production, and maintenance or upgrading of related equipment.

Experts say the new framework mirrors Washington’s own export curbs on advanced chip-making tools bound for China.

“Beijing is hitting back at U.S. vulnerabilities in electronics and defence supply chains,” said trade analyst Alex Capri, noting the timing of the announcement as “strategically calculated.”

Impact on Global Supply Chains

The policy could have significant implications for the U.S. and allied nations, which possess rare earth deposits but rely heavily on China for refining and processing. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China controls about 61% of global rare earth production and a staggering 92% of processing capacity.

Rare earth elements — including neodymium, yttrium, and europium — are vital components in electric vehicles, smartphones, wind turbines, and fighter jets. While these elements are not scarce in nature, their extraction and refinement are costly and environmentally hazardous, giving China a dominant position in the global supply chain.

Geopolitical Undercurrents

Western governments have long accused Beijing of leveraging its rare earth dominance for strategic advantage, particularly amid allegations that China permits dual-use exports — materials usable for both civilian and military purposes — to reach Russia. China has firmly denied those claims.