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20 national security experts urge Trump administration to restrict Nvidia H20 sales to China
TechCrunchยท 2025-07-28 15:29
Core Viewpoint - The Trump administration's decision to allow Nvidia to sell its H20 AI chips in China has faced criticism from national security experts, who argue it undermines U.S. technological superiority and poses risks to national security [1][2][3]. Group 1: Concerns Over H20 AI Chips - A letter from 20 national security experts describes the decision to permit Nvidia to sell H20 chips as a "strategic misstep" that could harm the U.S.'s AI capabilities for military and civilian applications [2]. - The H20 chip is characterized as a significant enhancer of China's AI capabilities, specifically optimized for inference tasks, which are crucial for advanced AI models [3]. - The letter claims that the sale of H20 chips could exacerbate the existing bottleneck in U.S. AI chip production and potentially support China's military efforts [3]. Group 2: Call for Reversal of Decision - The signatories of the letter urge the Trump administration to reverse its decision and maintain the ban on H20 exports, emphasizing that this issue transcends trade and is fundamentally about national security [4]. - The letter highlights that the previous ban on H20 exports was deemed appropriate and should be upheld to protect U.S. technological advantages [4]. Group 3: Context of the Decision - This letter follows the Department of Commerce's recent approval for Nvidia to resume sales of its AI chips in China, which was linked to ongoing trade discussions regarding rare earth elements [7]. - The Trump administration's AI Action Plan, unveiled recently, emphasizes the need for export restrictions on U.S. AI chips but lacks specific details on the implementation of these controls [8].