NVIDIA tweaks AI chips to bypass US rules, reach China
What's the story
Leading chipmaker NVIDIA is said to be revamping its artificial intelligence (AI) chips to comply with US export regulations.
The move would allow it to sell to Chinese companies without violating the rules, according to The Information.
The company's CEO Jensen Huang revealed the same during a recent visit to Beijing in mid-April, after new US restrictions on AI chip exports.
Client engagement
Communication with Chinese clients
During his Beijing visit, Huang conveyed NVIDIA's plans to major Chinese clients, including Alibaba Group, ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok), and Tencent Holdings.
This came just days after the US government placed restrictions on exports of its H20 AI chips to China.
The export restrictions on this key chip that NVIDIA was legally permitted to sell in China could cost the company $5.5 billion.
Product updates
New chip samples and Blackwell development
NVIDIA has told its customers that a sample of the redesigned chip could be ready as soon as June.
The company is also working on a China-specific version of its latest-generation AI chip, Blackwell.
However, NVIDIA has not commented on this development, nor have ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent, or the US Commerce Department responded to requests for comments, Reuters reports.