Policy & Drama

Export-banned Nvidia chips are behind China’s most powerful AI models, uh oh, Jensen!

New research shows the most advanced AI models from China were trained on banned Nvidia chips.

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Research indicates that China's leading AI models were trained using Nvidia chips that the US government banned from export to China, revealing a significant gap in export control enforcement. The US restricts certain Nvidia chips to protect its AI advantage, but less powerful chips can be exported through circuitous routes, and Chinese companies have reportedly accessed banned chips through offshore data centers, particularly in Malaysia, and alleged smuggling operations. Nvidia's CEO recently departed the company after his involvement with an executive at a firm implicated in chip smuggling came to light, creating potential corporate liability for export control violations. The situation highlights tensions between enforcement of export restrictions and the difficulty of controlling where technology is ultimately used once it leaves US jurisdiction.

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