Tech firms to act as US ‘gatekeepers’ for AI chips
The companies would have to comply with strict requirements, which includes reporting key information to the US government and blocking Chinese access to AI chips, according to a Reuters report.
The US will empower tech firms like Google and Microsoft to act as gatekeepers worldwide for highly sought-after access to AI chips, according to a Reuters report.
As per this scheme, the companies would have to comply with strict requirements, which includes reporting key information to the US government and blocking Chinese access to AI chips.
That would pave the way for them to offer AI capabilities within the cloud in foreign countries without a license, sources told Reuters.
The move comes as the Biden administration, in its last days, tries to put a framework in place to ensure that critical AI chips are not accessed by adversaries.
Other companies without gatekeeper status may compete for licenses to import select high-end Nvidia and AMD AI chips, the report said.
Allied countries will, however, have unlimited access to the AI chips or related capabilities.
The outgoing Biden administration has been rolling out export controls to cut off China’s access to advanced AI chips and chip-making tools.
Beijing recently warned it would take “necessary actions” to protect Chinese companies if the US went ahead with additional chip control measures. China’s commerce ministry said Beijing “strongly opposes” what the spokesperson described as the US expanding the concept of national security, and the “abuse” of control measures targeting Chinese companies.
This month China also launched an antitrust investigation into Nvidia, citing suspected violations of the country’s anti-monopoly laws. The move is widely viewed as a response to US restrictions targeting China’s semiconductor industry.
