A prominent U.S. financier has indicated that advanced NVIDIA Corp. artificial intelligence chips, currently under export restrictions to China, could be permitted for sale there within one to two years as rapid technological innovation renders them less cutting-edge.
Scott Bessent, a prominent U.S. financier and former economic advisor, predicted this potential shift could occur in 12 to 24 months. He attributed this relatively short timeframe to what he described as NVIDIA’s “excellent innovation capabilities.”
Bessent stated that such sales could be allowed “when Blackwell chips become the second, third, or fourth most efficient.” He added, “then they might be sold.”
The U.S. government has previously tightened its restrictions on the export of NVIDIA’s advanced AI chips. These measures are designed to prevent advanced technology from reaching China.
Washington views China as a national security rival. Officials are concerned the chips could be diverted for military applications.
In response, NVIDIA, which considers China a crucial market, has engineered specialized, less powerful chips. This includes models like the H20, which features reduced specifications.
Despite these efforts to comply, exporting even the modified chips to China still involves complex legal procedures. These require approvals from the U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees trade regulations.