US Restricts Artificial Intelligence Chip Exports to Maintain Dominance
The US government has announced that it will further restrict artificial intelligence chip and technology exports, with the aim of limiting access to advanced computing power to countries such as China, Russia, and Iran. The new regulations were announced on October 30, 2023, by President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House.
The rules will cap the number of AI chips that can be exported to most countries, while allowing unlimited access to US allies. The US Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, emphasized the importance of maintaining the US’s leading position in AI development and design, stating, “The US leads AI now – both AI development and AI chip design, and it’s critical that we keep it that way.”
The new regulations will also impose restrictions on advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), which are used to power data centers needed to train AI models. Major cloud service providers, such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, will be able to seek global authorizations to build data centers, but must abide by stringent conditions and restrictions, including security requirements.
The regulations will also divide the world into three tiers, with 18 countries, including Japan, Britain, and South Korea, being exempt from the rules. Other countries, including Singapore, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, will face country caps, while countries under arms embargo, such as China, Russia, and Iran, will be barred from receiving the technology altogether.
The new rules are intended to help the US maintain its dominant position in AI by controlling its development and use around the world. AI has the potential to bring significant benefits, including increased access to healthcare, education, and food, but it also poses risks, including the potential for biological and other weapons, support for cyberattacks, and assistance with surveillance and human rights abuses.
The White House has given the incoming administration 120 days to review and enforce the new rules, which are set to take effect from publication. The move has been criticized by industry voices, including Nvidia, which has called the plan “sweeping overreach” and argued that it will restrict the use of technology that is already available in mainstream gaming PCs and consumer hardware.