Trump-Backed Crypto Firm Partners With Platform Selling Access To Restricted Chinese Military-Linked AI Models

A Trump-backed cryptocurrency firm called World Liberty Financial has partnered with an AI platform called WorldClaw, which offers access to restricted Chinese military-linked AI models that have been flagged as national security risks.

Nearly half of WorldClaw's 90 AI models are developed by Chinese companies such as Alibaba and Baidu, which the Trump administration has designated as posing risks to national security and intellectual property. These companies include Z.ai, formerly known as Zhipu AI, which is on the Commerce Department's 'entity list'.

The partnership between World Liberty Financial and WorldClaw allows users to pay for access to these models using tokens issued by World Liberty Financial, with the Trump family earning revenue from the sale or use of these tokens. This arrangement has raised concerns among experts that it cuts against the Trump administration's posture towards Chinese tech firms.

The US Department of Defense has designated Alibaba and Baidu as Chinese military-aligned firms under the so-called 1260H list, which legally bars the Pentagon from doing business with them. The Pentagon expanded this list to 188 companies in June, up from 134 in 2022.