Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) Senior US lawmakers from both parties are pressing for tighter controls on the export of advanced American artificial intelligence chips to China, warning that allegations involving Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang have heightened national security concerns.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday (local time) urged Congress to move quickly on three bipartisan bills designed to restrict China’s access to American technology. His call followed a joint statement by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator Jim Banks demanding stronger export controls.
The renewed push comes as lawmakers consider including restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology in the annual defence policy legislation.
Schumer called for passage of the AI OVERWATCH Act, the MATCH Act and the Chip Security Act, arguing that Washington must prevent sensitive American technology from reaching potential adversaries.
He also demanded an immediate briefing for the Senate and House intelligence committees on alleged Chinese efforts to obtain information from Nvidia and other American AI companies.
“We need a full accounting for Trump’s failure to address foreign espionage in the American tech industry,” Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor.
Schumer accused President Donald Trump of failing to adequately confront intelligence concerns.
Warren and Banks, both members of the Senate Banking Committee, said they had urged the Commerce Department in March to reconsider Nvidia’s export licences to China and conduct a comprehensive national security review.
They alleged that Nvidia had subsequently received approvals to export hundreds of thousands of advanced AI chips to China, including to companies with reported connections to the Chinese military.
The lawmakers said the latest allegations reinforced the need for stricter safeguards against the possible military use of American technology.
“The Commerce Department should complement these efforts with immediate action to close export control loopholes,” Warren and Banks said in their joint statement.
Their appeal followed reports that Huang had been targeted by a suspected Chinese intelligence operation involving a personal relationship.
Nvidia’s board announced an independent investigation on November 8 to examine whether its chief executive had been the target of foreign intelligence activity.
The company said a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside legal counsel, would oversee the investigation.
China rejected the allegations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun described the accusations as groundless and an attempt to smear Beijing.
Trump has publicly defended Huang, saying the Nvidia chief had told him he did not know the woman involved was suspected of espionage. The President said he believed Huang’s explanation.
The allegations remain under investigation, and no finding has established that Huang knowingly assisted Chinese intelligence or that company secrets were compromised.
–IANS
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