US Spy Agencies Linked Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to Chinese Asset, Trump Took No Action for 1 Year
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 29
US Spy Agencies Linked Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to Chinese Asset, Trump Took No Action for 1 Year
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 29
Summary
US officials concluded that Alice Huang, a Singapore-based data-center executive and alleged Chinese intelligence asset, developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and relayed information to Beijing.
Surveillance had already put her under scrutiny for possibly steering advanced Nvidia AI chips to China, heightening fears that Beijing had gained access to someone close to one of Washington’s most influential tech executives.
Roughly a year ago, President Trump was briefed on the intelligence findings but chose not to act, wary of disrupting Nvidia’s chip sales and further straining trade ties with China.
The episode underscores how US efforts to block China’s access to cutting-edge AI technology are colliding with Nvidia’s central role in the economy, markets and White House technology policy.
Did a Singapore data center executive exploit ties to Nvidia’s CEO to help China access restricted AI chips and sensitive supply-chain insights?
If advanced Nvidia chips can reach China through overseas clouds, are export controls targeting the wrong thing—hardware shipments instead of compute access?