Twenty former U.S. national security officials are urging the Trump administration to stop Nvidia from selling its H20 AI chips to China. The group fears the chip could help China strengthen its military and surveillance tech, something they say could harm U.S. national security.
The Nvidia H20 chip was designed to meet current U.S. export rules. These rules were put in place to block powerful AI chips from being sent to China. Although the H20 isn’t as advanced as Nvidia’s H100 chip, it’s still strong enough to power real-time AI tools like facial recognition and autonomous military systems.
The letter, signed by ex-officials from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. intelligence agencies, and the National Security Council, says that allowing these sales would “undercut U.S. export control policy.” One of the signers, a former deputy national security adviser, said the chip could still be used for military-grade AI purposes.
This call for action follows past efforts by the U.S. to limit China’s access to top-tier AI chips. In 2022 and 2023, the then administration imposed strict export controls to slow down China’s progress in AI and defense tech.
Related: U.S. Plans To Export AI Chips Again, But Not To China.
The Trump administration hasn’t publicly responded yet, but this issue could decide whether the U.S. holds its edge in the AI race, or gives China a boost.
