U.S. Senators Propose Bill to Block China’s Access to Advanced AI Chips
Bipartisan legislation dubbed the SAFE CHIPS Act aims to impose a 30-month ban on exporting advanced AI chips to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The bill specifically targets processors from American semiconductor firms like Nvidia and AMD that could enhance military or surveillance capabilities.
Republican Senator Pete Ricketts and Democrat Chris Coons spearhead the effort, framing it as a national security imperative. The proposal directly counters recent White House discussions about potentially relaxing chip export controls initiated during the TRUMP administration.
Commerce Department officials WOULD be required to notify Congress of any rule changes 30 days before implementation after the initial restriction period expires. Critics argue such measures may inadvertently accelerate China's domestic chip development efforts while proponents emphasize preventing technological leakage to adversarial regimes.
