Microsoft has signed a partnership with Chinese internet security specialist Qihoo 360 for cooperation in mobile internet products and artificial intelligence.
The two companies will work together in mobile Internet products such as Microsoft’s chatbots Xiaobing and Qihoo 360’s mobile security service, before moving on to technology exchanges in artificial intelligence, reported China’s state news agency Xinhua citing Microsoft Search Technology Center Asia (STCA).
The deal comes at a time when Microsoft’s products are drawing flak in the country for their vulnerabilities.
In May this month, China banned Windows 8 operating system in its government offices on an apparent decree on using energy saving devices. It is, however, suspected that the ban was imposed for security vulnerability of the operating system.
Last week, China’s CCTV aired a story that suggests that Windows 8 is a challenge to the data security of the country as it is one of the means for the US National Security Agency to obtain personal data about Chinese.
In separate articles last week, the Chinese media has called for severe punishment to US tech majors such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo, etc for being pawns in the hands of the US spy agencies.
