Jensen Huang Agrees to Testify Before Congress as Chip Export Curbs Gain Support

The update

Former Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has agreed to testify before Congress by Thanksgiving, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Brian Mast said on Thursday. Mast said staff spoke with Nvidia on Wednesday night, hours before Huang resigned, about a date for a closed-door, recorded appearance. Three House committee chairs asked Huang on November 4 about his relationship with Alice Huang, a Megaspeed executive whom United States authorities suspect of spying for China, and about Nvidia’s security protocols, threatening a subpoena if he refused.

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Why it matters

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday a growing consensus in Congress favours limiting China’s access to advanced artificial intelligence chips, central to the US-China AI race. Lawmakers from both parties are pressing at least four export bills, and Republicans want to attach restrictions to the annual defence authorization bill; a Senate version already includes congressional oversight of export decisions and chip-tracking requirements. Huang had supported more exports to China.

What to watch

Whether a firm date is set, and whether the export measures reach the final defence bill. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday the Justice Department had not yet concluded whether Alice Huang engaged in espionage. China has rejected the allegation as a smear, and Huang has denied knowing of any spying.

Sources

• theguardian.com — confirms the testimony timetable, Mast’s Wednesday talks and Johnson’s export-consensus remarks
• techcrunch.com — confirms the agreement, the closed-door format and the November 4 request

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