USA restricts world access to AI chips: ‘We are the leader and it is crucial to maintain our position’

US President Joe Biden’s cabinet announced on Monday that it will further restrict the export of artificial intelligence (AI) chips to ensure the leading position of the US and a group of allies and partners in the sector.

“The US is leading the way in AI today – both in the development of AI and in the design of AI chips – and it is critical that we maintain that position,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

The US will introduce new restrictions on the export of graphics card (GPU) chips used in data centers to test AI models. Graphics processors are connected in ‘clusters’ to train sophisticated AI models, Reuters explains.

They are usually used in games, and they have found application in AI thanks to their great power and simultaneous processing of different categories of data.

The USA decided to limit their exports, dividing the destination countries into three groups, according to the limit of sales of computing power expressed in graphics processors.

Aligned interests

A group of 18 allied and partner countries will have unrestricted access to that category of chips, according to the White House press release.

“Flexibility enables countries with strong technology protection mechanisms and technological ecosystems aligned with US national and foreign policy interests to benefit from the unhindered procurement of large quantities of chips,” it said.

The group includes Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan, the unnamed person said. correspondent for Reuters.

Two-year permit

Companies with “high security standards” and headquarters in most other countries will be able to request the status of “verified end user” and purchase in the next two years “computing power corresponding to up to 320 thousand of sophisticated GPUs,” the press release states.

And companies that do not secure that status and their headquarters are not in the group of allies will be able to buy computing power, but with a limitation of up to 50 thousand sophisticated GPUs per country.

Countries under an arms embargo, such as Russia, China and Iran, will be denied access to sophisticated American equipment.

“Obstacle to innovation”

Large companies in the data processing and storage sector, such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon, can also request permits to build data centers and exempt such projects from quotas.

In order to obtain a permit, companies will have to meet strict conditions and restrictions, including provisions on security, reporting and drawing up a plan or record of respect for human rights, it said.

Most of the sophisticated chips are produced by the American Nvidia, and in the field of chips for AI, the big game is and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

Nvidia criticized the outgoing cabinet’s decision on Monday, warning that the new regulation “could hinder innovation and economic growth around the world” and would “undermine American leadership,” according to a statement from company vice president Ned Finkle.

Žurba

The speech of the head of Nvidia follows on from the warning of the association of American technology companies, which also believe that the leading role of the USA in the sector is at stake.

“Pressing the finalization of an important and complex regulation could have significant negative consequences,” ITI executive director Jason Oxman warned in a letter dated January 7, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

The association understands the cabinet’s national security argument, but “the potential risks to US global leadership in artificial intelligence are real and should be taken seriously,” they wrote.

According to them, the Cabinet should publish a draft regulation, not the regulation itself, given the significant geopolitical and economic implications.