The US Department of Commerce recently announced a warning regarding the use of AI chips developed by Huawei, suggesting that companies utilizing these chips may face investigations.
On May 13, the Department notified global organizations, urging them to refrain from using Huawei’s Ascend AI chip series, including versions 910B, 910C, and 910D. The statement highlighted that the use of these chips worldwide poses potential violations of US export control laws.
This marks the first instance of a global warning from the Department of Commerce, which could impact organizations outside the US. Reports from Ars Technica indicate that this warning arises from Huawei’s advancements in AI chip technology, particularly with its Ascend 910C series, which reportedly contains around 53 billion transistors and is considered competitive with Nvidia in cluster computing environments.
Previously, the US government investigated Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, due to concerns related to the chip supply chain used by Huawei. Analysis by TechInsights revealed that a Huawei AI device contained chips that were linked to TSMC’s manufacturing process.
Although TSMC officially ceased formal cooperation with Huawei in 2020 due to sanctions, the current investigation aims to determine whether Huawei has utilized intermediaries to bypass regulations and access advanced production capabilities. The Department of Commerce warned that if violations are identified, TSMC could face fines exceeding $1 billion and restrictions on its access to US technology. TSMC has stated that it adheres to US export regulations and is committed to cooperating with the investigation.
In the meantime, AI systems utilizing Huawei chips are increasingly supplanting Nvidia in various sectors within China. As reported by Bloomberg, Huawei has established supercomputer clusters using the Ascend 910C in large data centers.
Experts suggest that the US warning may create legal challenges for organizations, particularly in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America, where Huawei continues to be a key infrastructure provider.
