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Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA. (Photo: Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Taipei, Taiwan – May 17, 2025 –
While visiting Taipei, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang addressed growing concerns about potential diversion of the company’s AI chips to China through the Middle East. In an interview with Bloomberg News on May 17 (local time), Huang emphasized that NVIDIA’s hardware is physically too large to be smuggled across borders and that customers are well aware of regulations and self-monitor accordingly.
The remarks follow renewed speculation after former U.S. President Donald Trump, during a recent visit to the Middle East, signaled the rollback of export controls on AI semiconductors imposed by the previous administration. This has sparked concerns that NVIDIA’s high-performance chips could make their way into China through third countries.
“There is no evidence that any of our AI chips have been diverted,” Huang stated. “The Grace Blackwell system, for instance, weighs nearly two tons—it’s not something you can fit into a pocket or a backpack.” He added, “Our customers know they are not allowed to repurpose our products, and because they want to continue using NVIDIA’s technology, they are very strict with themselves.”
NVIDIA’s latest flagship product is an integrated system consisting of up to 72 GPUs and 36 processors.
Huang, who accompanied Trump’s delegation in the Middle East, expressed support for the administration’s decision to lift AI chip export restrictions. Thanks to this policy shift, NVIDIA secured a deal to supply 18,000 state-of-the-art AI chips to Saudi Arabia, marking a significant expansion into the region.
When asked whether the company would prioritize Middle Eastern customers, Huang responded, “As long as we have accurate demand forecasts, we can produce enough technology for everyone.” He further stressed, “Restricting the global spread of American technology is fundamentally wrong. It’s right to maximize the worldwide dissemination of U.S. technology.”
Separately, in an interview with Taiwan’s Formosa TV, Huang said that NVIDIA will no longer release new Hopper-series semiconductors in China following the H20 chip. Asked whether future chips for China would be based on the Hopper architecture, he replied, “We can’t modify Hopper any further, so it won’t be Hopper.”
The H20 has been NVIDIA’s only AI chip approved for legal sale in China. However, the Trump administration recently extended export restrictions to include the H20 as well. According to Reuters, NVIDIA is reportedly planning to release a downgraded version of the H20 in China within the next two months. The company has recently seen its market share in China decline amid fierce competition from local firms such as Huawei.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
