Biden's team to announce new export limits on AI chips to China

The Biden administration is planning to announce new controls on artificial intelligence chips and equipment that can be sold to China, administration officials tell Axios, Report informs.

The new restrictions, likely to be announced early next week, will broaden a White House effort to prevent China from gaining a military advantage in AI.

The rules, issued by the Commerce Department, are designed to close loopholes on export controls it announced a year ago, and apply them to chips that are slightly less powerful than those covered under the initial guidelines — but still have advanced capabilities.

The controls also will limit the export of equipment used to produce advanced semiconductors, bringing the US into line with regulations imposed by Japan and the Netherlands.

Besides the export restrictions from October 2022, Biden signed an executive order in August that restricts private investments into Chinese companies in the semiconductor, AI and quantum computing industries.

The goal was restrict investment in certain industries and prevent the transfer of American know-how from top private equity and venture capital firms to Chinese companies.