Nvidia and Anthropic Publicly Clash Over AI Chip Export Controls

Nvidia publicly criticized AI startup Anthropic on Thursday over claims about Chinese smuggling tactics, just days before the Biden-era 'AI Diffusion Rule' takes effect on May 15. The confrontation highlights growing tensions between AI hardware providers and model developers over export controls.

'American firms should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales that large, heavy, and sensitive electronics are somehow smuggled in 'baby bumps' or 'alongside live lobsters,'' an Nvidia spokesperson said, responding to Anthropic's Wednesday blog post.

The Amazon and Google-backed AI startup had called for tighter restrictions and enforcement, arguing that 'maintaining America's compute advantage through export controls is essential for national security.' Anthropic specifically proposed lowering export thresholds for Tier 2 countries to prevent China from gaining ground in AI development.

Nvidia countered that policy shouldn't be used to limit competitiveness: 'China, with half of the world's AI researchers, has highly capable AI experts at every layer of the AI stack. America cannot manipulate regulators to capture victory in AI.'

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