On Thursday, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) urged the Trump administration to keep some aspects of the artificial intelligence (AI) chip export regulations established by former President Biden.
In a letter directed to Secretaries of Commerce Howard Rutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the bipartisan pair emphasized the importance of encouraging businesses to maintain a significant portion of the computing infrastructure for America’s top AI models. They also stressed the need for strong safeguards in overseas data centers.
“While the complexities of the proliferation rules have been rightly criticized, it’s crucial for the administration to preserve the core of the US AI infrastructure and propose alternatives that enforce strict security measures for facilities abroad,” they noted.
Biden released the AI Export Rules on his last day in office, imposing limitations on chip sales to most countries outside a select group of US allies. This move faced significant pushback from the semiconductor industry.
Before the rules could take effect in May, the Trump administration rescinded them, arguing that they stifled US innovation and imposed burdensome regulations on businesses.
Months later, a replacement has yet to be provided. Earlier this month, some Republican House members urged Rutnick to create a “stable export structure” to replace the existing rules.
However, it appears there may be no new regulations in sight. Reports indicate the administration is reconsidering the elimination of these rules.
This shift aligns with a reevaluation of policies toward China, particularly after Trump announced an AI action plan the previous week, which emphasizes export restrictions and promoting American technology internationally.
In a related development, the Trump administration has made it possible for Nvidia to resume selling H20 chips to China. After initially imposing restrictions on H20 sales in May, the administration granted chip makers the go-ahead earlier this month.
This decision has faced criticism from various groups, including former national security officials, some Democrats, and at least one Republican, who have raised concerns regarding the implications of this move.
