Reuters: US may impose new sanctions targetting AI chip export to China!

Despite prior sanctions, HUAWEI was able to produce 5G capable chips which prompted the US to tackle loopholes with new sanctions against AI chips.

HiSilicon Kirin 9000s with 5G capability alarms the U.S.?

New sanctions to curve AI chip exports to China?

In an exclusive report by Reuters, the London-based news provider reveals that a United States official said that the U.S. will be taking steps to prevent American chipmakers from selling semiconductors to China that circumvent government restrictions. This is the Biden Administration's move to block more AI chip exports to China.

These new rules will add to the sweeping U.S. restrictions on shipments of advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China unveiled last October. An anonymous source claimed that the new rules will block some AI chips that just fall under current technical parameters while demanding companies report shipments of others.

These updated rules are meant to cover AI chips as the technology evolves. The U.S. will require companies to notify the government about semiconductors whose performance is just below the guidelines before they are shipped to China. The government will decide on a case-by-case basis whether they pose a national risk but they can be shipped unless the chipmaker is told otherwise.

One U.S. official said that the U.S. planned to remove the 'bandwidth parameter' which is used to restrict exports of certain AI data centre chips. The removal of the said parameter gives way for another guideline to kick in. This other guideline widens the scope of the chips covered and it will likely reduce the speed at which AI chips talk to each other.

Another new rule to be introduced is the 'performance density' parameter that aims to prevent future workarounds. However, the U.S. official declined to elaborate on this topic.

Reuters expects these updated rules to come out this week. Other people familiar with the matter claim that timetables for the matter often slip.

What do you guys think?

Source: Reuters