China summons Nvidia over 'safety issues' in AI chips

Chinese authorities on Thursday summoned representatives of Nvidia to address "serious security issues" related to one of its chips for artificial intelligence (IA), China's top internet regulator said.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced this month that the U.S. government approved the company's sale of H20 chips to China.

However, in the context of the technology race and competition between the world's two largest economies, several U.S. lawmakers called for requiring the tech giant and other makers of chips used in AI to integrate location functionality.

"We must do more to maintain and expand our position in the global marketplace while safeguarding America's technological edge. With these enhanced security measures, we can continue to expand access to U.S. technology without compromising our national security," Cotton said in a statement.

According to a statement, picked up by AFP, the Chinese regulator assured that there are U.S. experts who estimate that the "geolocation" and "remote disablement" technologies embedded in Nvidia chips are already fully operational.

Nvidia developed the H20 chips, which have a lower capacity, for export specifically to the Asian giant due to restrictions imposed by the US.

A law to prevent the diversion of advanced chips to China

In May, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced the Chip Security Act, legislation that will prevent advanced U.S. chips from falling into the hands of adversaries like China by improving oversight of advanced chips and tasking the Commerce Department and Department of Defense with studying a promising chip security mechanism.

"We must do more to maintain and expand our position in the global marketplace while safeguarding the U.S. technological edge. With these strengthened security measures, we can continue to expand access to U.S. technology without compromising our national security," Cotton stated.