U.S. Tech Firms Urge Biden Administration to Reconsider AI Chip Export Rules
The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) has urged the Biden administration to reconsider a proposed rule controlling global access to AI chips, warning that the restrictions would jeopardize U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.
In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, ITI CEO Jason Oxman criticized the administration’s plan to issue the rule in its final days, saying that it could have significant adverse consequences. Oxman argued that the potential risks to U.S. global leadership in AI are real and should be taken seriously.
The proposed rule, which is expected to be released as early as this Friday, aims to prevent the spread of AI technology to countries of concern, particularly China, to prevent it from supercharging its military capabilities. However, the ITI and other industry groups argue that the restrictions would place arbitrary constraints on U.S. companies’ ability to sell computing systems overseas, ceding the global market to competitors.
The Semiconductor Industry Association and several executives, including Ken Glueck of Oracle, have also publicly opposed the proposed rule, warning that it would have significant economic implications for the U.S. technology industry. Glueck described the rule as “one of the most destructive to ever hit the U.S. technology industry.”
The ITI recommended that the controls be issued as proposed rulemaking, given the significant geopolitical and economic implications. However, the Commerce Department and the White House have not commented on the matter.