Nvidia's security head guarantees no secret paths for unauthorized access
In a recent blog post, Nvidia's Chief Security Officer, David Reber Jr., emphasized the potential dangers of embedding backdoors and kill switches in chips, stating that such actions would undermine global digital infrastructure and fracture trust in US technology. This warning comes amidst ongoing investigations by the US Justice Department into allegations that California-based ALX Solutions violated US export laws by shipping advanced AI chips to China.
The case highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and China regarding technology exports and AI development. The geopolitical struggles have made Nvidia a central player, with the company's position in the AI market becoming increasingly uncomfortable due to these tensions.
Under the current US regulations, major AI chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD are allowed to export their advanced AI chips to China, but they must pay 15% of their revenue from Chinese sales to the US government. This arrangement, negotiated during the Trump administration, replaced a prior export ban and allows export licenses to be granted under the revenue-sharing deal.
However, the agreement has raised national security concerns, with critics warning that allowing advanced AI chips to reach China may enhance its AI capabilities and pose risks. Nvidia's newer B200 AI processor is reported to have evaded US export controls, adding fuel to these concerns.
Two Chinese nationals, Chuan Geng and Shiwei Yang, have been charged by federal authorities in the US for secretly exporting advanced AI chips to China. The duo set up a company called ALX Solutions in October 2022, after the Biden administration imposed heavy export controls on high-end GPUs. The shipment, believed to have occurred before Geng and Yang were apprehended over the weekend, is said to be an attempt to bypass US export controls and support the Chinese AI industry.
The seized phones of Geng and Yang allegedly revealed incriminating communications about shipping export-controlled chips to China through Malaysia to evade US export laws. The official statement does not name the specific chips in question, but the affidavit mentions Nvidia's H100 AI processor and GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, specifically the RTX 4090 (not the downrated 4090D).
Beijing has recently asked Nvidia about potential backdoors in the H20 chips that the US allows it to export to China. Nvidia sells its products primarily to well-known partners who ensure compliance with US export control rules. However, the blog post by Nvidia's chief security officer was published on Tuesday, warning against the embedding of backdoors and kill switches into chips.
Trump advisors have floated the idea of forcing location-tracking capabilities into Nvidia's wares, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing debates and criticisms regarding the national security implications of this policy. The case against ALX Solutions and the warning from Nvidia's chief security officer underscore the delicate balance between technology advancement, geopolitical tensions, and national security concerns.
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The escalating issues between the US and China, as demonstrated by the ALX Solutions case, have raised concerns about national security, particularly the potential risks posed by advanced AI technology. In response, Nvidia's Chief Security Officer issued a warning about the dangers of embedding backdoors and kill switches in chips, emphasizing the role they play in maintaining global digital infrastructure security.
