Two arrested for smuggling AI chips to China; Nvidia says no to kill switches
The U.S. DOJ nabbed two Chinese nationals in California for allegedly shipping tens of millions in Nvidia’s top-tier AI GPUs to China via shell routes through Singapore and Malaysia, violating export controls and facing up to 20 years in prison. Nvidia insists its chips have no kill switches or backdoors, warning that such measures would undermine security and innovation. The case highlights U.S. efforts to curb chip exports amid growing AI competition with China.
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