"Nvidia is allegedly testing software that can track the location of its AI chips as reports of its chips being smuggled into China are on the rise. Nvidia has built location verification technology that would allow it to track which country a chip is located in, Reuters originally reported, citing anonymous sources. This software tracks computing performance but the delay in communication between servers also offers a sense of a chip's location."
"Multiple reports have surfaced in the last few days that allege China's DeepSeek AI models have been trained on smuggled Nvidia Blackwell chips. Nvidia responded to these reports by saying it hasn't seen evidence of this type of smuggling. "We haven't seen any substantiation or received tips of 'phantom datacenters' constructed to deceive us and our OEM partners, then deconstructed, smuggled, and reconstructed somewhere else. While such smuggling seems farfetched, we pursue any tip we receive," an Nvidia spokesperson told TechCrunch."
Nvidia has built optional location-verification software that infers a chip's country by monitoring computing performance and communication delays between servers. The feature will be offered first for Blackwell chips and customers can choose whether to enable it. Multiple reports allege China's DeepSeek AI models were trained on smuggled Nvidia Blackwell chips. Nvidia said it has not seen evidence of such smuggling and stated it pursues any tips, calling large-scale phantom datacenter smuggling farfetched. The U.S. recently approved sales of older H200 chips to approved Chinese customers, but that approval does not include Blackwell chips.
Read at TechCrunch
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