A leading US senator has cast doubt on Nvidia’s assurances that none of its advanced AI chips are being diverted to China, pointing to multiple criminal cases involving the alleged unauthorized export of the company’s technology. The senator urged Nvidia to clarify its compliance measures following accusations that hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of AI products reportedly reached China through complex smuggling routes.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a prominent Democrat and senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, sent a formal letter to Nvidia’s top legal and audit officials expressing concern that ongoing US Department of Justice investigations contradict public statements by Nvidia’s CEO. The senator highlighted allegations involving the unlawful diversion of graphics processing units and high-performance AI chips—including the H100 and H200 models—to China via Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand.
According to Warren, these cases threaten national security and raise questions about the effectiveness of Nvidia’s internal controls and board oversight. Federal export regulations strictly prohibit unlicensed shipments of advanced AI technology to embargoed nations like China, requiring heightened diligence to prevent misuse or diversion. Warren’s letter referenced a March federal indictment accusing individuals connected to Super Micro Computer (Supermicro) of conspiring to export more than $500 million in servers with restricted Nvidia components to China. Despite this, Nvidia continues to list Supermicro as a partner, while Supermicro has announced plans to deepen its collaboration with Nvidia.
The senator also noted reports linking several Nvidia cloud partners based in Southeast Asia to the suspected rerouting of export-controlled Nvidia chips to Chinese firms such as Alibaba. Warren stressed that government guidance instructs exporters to investigate any “red flags” indicating improper end-users or destinations. The letter calls for Nvidia to provide detailed information on its export compliance policies and the veracity of its public claims denying any evidence of AI chip diversion to China.