CIA operative helped UAE secure access to advanced US AI technology amid China links fears - report

A former CIA operative who was dispatched to Abu Dhabi to probe the United Arab Emirates’ flagship artificial intelligence firm played a central role in helping the UAE meet U.S. security demands and secure access to advanced American AI technology, the report said. Jonny Gannon, a veteran of more than two decades at the CIA, was sent to the UAE in 2023 and operated under diplomatic cover at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi to examine the leadership, partnerships and security practices of G42 and its ties to China.

"He became a channel through which Emirati officials learned what changes Washington expected before it would permit G42 to obtain sensitive American technology," the report said.

Gannon’s mission focused in part on Sheik Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser, and scrutinized G42 CEO Peng Xiao and the extent of the firm’s past connections with Chinese technology and surveillance businesses. U.S. officials had been particularly worried about G42’s prior business relationships with Chinese companies, its use of Chinese telecommunications equipment, and the risk that advanced American technology could reach Beijing.

From assessment to guarded cooperation

The former operative’s work reportedly evolved from intelligence collection into a facilitation role: conveying to Emirati officials the specific security and compliance changes Washington would require before greenlighting sensitive transfers. G42 moved to reduce its exposure to China, phased out some Chinese technology, and accepted additional security and compliance requirements.

• In April 2024 Microsoft invested $1.5 billion in G42; the agreement included a "binding security framework developed in consultation with the US and UAE governments," and Microsoft president Brad Smith joined G42’s board as part of the deal.
• G42 later secured partnerships with major American technology companies and expanded access to advanced AI chips, including high-performance processors produced by Nvidia.
• The UAE announced Stargate UAE — the first international deployment of OpenAI’s Stargate infrastructure platform — which envisions a one-gigawatt AI computing cluster in Abu Dhabi and aims to bring the first 200 megawatts online in 2026.

The reported approach reflected a broader U.S. posture that weighed the risks of sharing semiconductors and advanced AI systems with a country that had commercial ties to China against the strategic aim of keeping the UAE within Washington’s technological orbit. Some U.S. lawmakers and national security officials remained skeptical, warning that advanced systems could have military and intelligence applications if Chinese actors obtained access. Others argued that exclusion could push Abu Dhabi toward Beijing.

G42’s accelerating partnerships and technology ambitions

G42 has continued to position itself as a major global AI developer. In February, the company unveiled a new AI chip developed with U.S.-based Cerebras Systems at a Dubai summit and said the chip would be used at its planned Abu Dhabi AI campus. The company also established a presence in Israel after the Abraham Accords and formed a joint venture with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to develop AI and big-data products for healthcare, banking and public safety.

Outlook: With the reported intelligence engagement having cleared the path for guarded technology transfers, Abu Dhabi now pursues large-scale AI infrastructure projects backed by significant foreign investment and partnerships. The coming years will test whether the security frameworks and compliance measures adopted by G42 and its partners can prevent sensitive technology from being diverted while enabling the UAE’s stated ambitions in advanced computing and AI.