Bill would require Nvidia to give US companies first option to buy AI chips
On Tuesday, ARI and American Compass sent a letter urging the Senate to keep the GAIN AI Act in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The GAIN AI Act would require chip sellers to fulfill purchases from US-based customers before selling advanced AI chips to “countries of concern,” including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The legislation comes as Nvidia develops a new “B30A” chip for Chinese markets, a Blackwell-based GPU more powerful than the H20 but engineered to skirt the edge of U.S. export limits.
Read the full letter from ARI and American Compass here.
From the letter:
“Advanced AI chips are the jet engines of the modern economy and the backbone of dual-use capabilities with direct relevance to national security. In moments when supply is tight and the stakes are high, Congress should not leave U.S. firms, universities, and start-ups waiting at the back of the line while competitors pull ahead. The GAIN AI Act offers a measured, technical, and time-sensitive solution: serve American buyers first.”
Over the past several years, U.S. firms have faced regular backlogs in purchasing chips. In late 2024, Nvidia’s Blackwell line was booked out roughly 12 months ahead. In an earnings call last month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said with regards to chips that, “everything’s sold out.”
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Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy advocacy in the public interest, focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more at ARI.us.