Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer from New York, a prominent supporter of American leadership in artificial intelligence, has criticized former President Trump’s backing of a deal to transfer advanced US chip technology to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Schumer expressed concern that Trump “creates the conditions for selling the most sensitive US chip technology in exchange for a vague promise of increased foreign investment.”
He cautioned that this agreement poses significant risks, as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not clearly stated how they will prevent the Communist Party of China from gaining access to these chips. “When foreign nations obtain American-made chips, it’s only a matter of time before they can access our technology and secrets,” Schumer noted during a Senate speech on Thursday. “That’s why we previously imposed strict restrictions on exporting these chips.”
He referenced warnings from Rep. John Mourenard of Michigan, Republican chairman of the House Committee focusing on the Chinese Communist Party, who noted on social media that a new US partnership with Gulf states could expose vulnerabilities that could be exploited by the CCP.
During Trump’s Middle East visit, several US tech companies announced new partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Nvidia, for instance, is set to sell 18,000 “Blackwell” chips to a Saudi AI company backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund.
In addition, Advanced Micro Devices and Qualcomm have established agreements with the Saudi company Humain.
Schumer warned that Trump’s diplomatic efforts related to sensitive technology might lead to increased high-tech manufacturing in those countries rather than in the US. “What about bringing jobs and advanced technology back to our country?” he questioned. “Is it really acceptable to hand this over to other nations, especially those with weaker security measures than ours, effectively allowing the Chinese government access to these chips?”
