Amazon is joining Microsoft in backing legislation aimed at further restricting chipmaker Nvidia’s ability to export advanced processors to China, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to the Reuters. The bill, known as the GAIN AI Act, is also supported by artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, according to people familiar with the matter.
The legislation, short for Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence (GAIN), was introduced as part of the National Defense Authorization Act and requires AI chip manufacturers to prioritize domestic orders for advanced processors before supplying foreign customers.
Microsoft has publicly endorsed the bill, while officials from Amazon’s cloud division have privately informed Senate staffers of their support. Meta Platforms and Alphabet’s Google have not taken a position on the Act, and neither has former U.S. President Donald Trump.
White House officials, including AI czar David Sacks, informed GAIN Act sponsor Senator Jim Banks that the policy’s impact is limited, as the Commerce Department already regulates chip exports. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the report. Amazon declined to comment, while Microsoft, Anthropic, and the White House did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Nvidia, the world’s leading chipmaker, has previously warned that the GAIN AI Act could restrict global competition for advanced chips, reducing computing power available to other countries. The legislation reflects Washington’s effort to prioritize U.S. needs amid concerns that China could leverage access to high-end AI capabilities for military purposes.
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