Chinese technology billionaire Chen Tianqiao’s artificial intelligence start-up MiroMind is suspending its services in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, in the latest sign that some of the country’s most globally ambitious firms are increasingly retreating from the domestic market as geopolitical tensions reshape the industry following the Manus saga.
In an email sent to select users on Wednesday, the company said that its MiroThinker services would stop operating in regions including mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau from May 12 because of “business adjustments”, with no timeline for resumption, according to a Beijing-based user who received the email.
The company is offering refunds and data export options for affected users, it said in the email.
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A customer service representative at MiroMind confirmed the service suspension on Thursday in response to an inquiry from the South China Morning Post.
The move comes shortly after a recent interview with Bloomberg in which Chen publicly described erecting strict internal “firewalls” between the company’s regional operations in response to heightened scrutiny from Beijing following Meta’s acquisition of Manus.
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A protocol to limit cross-border sharing of information or code was implemented after Beijing contacted Chen’s team in early March, cautioning against a unilateral technology transfer out of the country, he said in the interview.