Intel is set to launch two specialised AI chips, HL-328 and HL-388, tailored specifically for the Chinese market in June and September, respectively. These chips are developed in compliance with US export controls and sanctions. The announcement, detailed in a white paper on Intel’s website dated 12 April, comes in response to tightened regulations limiting the capabilities of AI chips exported to China. Nvidia, a competitor in the AI chip market, also has plans for China-specific chips following similar export control restrictions.
Intel’s upcoming China-specific AI chips are part of the Gaudi 3 product line, which was unveiled on 9 April. Despite featuring advanced hardware components like on-chip memory and high-bandwidth memory, these chips will undergo performance reductions to meet export control requirements. The aim is to adhere to US regulations while continuing to engage in the Chinese market.
Nvidia, like Intel, is navigating export control challenges by developing specific AI chips for China. One of Nvidia’s chips, the H20, is anticipated to enter the market in limited quantities in the first quarter of 2024, with larger volumes expected in the subsequent quarter. These developments highlight efforts by major semiconductor companies to adapt to evolving export regulations without completely withdrawing from the Chinese market, aiming to balance compliance with strategic business interests.
Why does it matter?
Both Intel and Nvidia’s initiatives reflect the broader impact of geopolitical tensions on the semiconductor industry. As governments implement stricter export controls, companies are innovating to meet regulatory requirements while continuing to serve global markets. The launch of China-specific AI chips represents a strategic response to these challenges, enabling technology firms to navigate complex trade dynamics while sustaining business operations.
Rights groups are intensifying their calls for restrictions on using facial recognition technology (FRT) by the US government. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has submitted comments to the US Commission on Civil Rights, asserting that FRT lacks reliability for making decisions that impact constitutional rights or social benefits and it poses risks to marginalised communities and privacy. EFF advocates for a ban on government use of FRT and strict limits on private sector use to safeguard against the perceived threats posed by this technology.
Joining EFF, the immigrant advocacy organisation United We Dream and over 30 civil rights partners have also submitted comments to the commission. They highlight concerns that a legal loophole has enabled agencies like ICE and CBP to use facial recognition for extensive surveillance of immigrants and people of colour. The alliance argues that FRT’s algorithmic biases often lead to incorrect identifications, unjust arrests, detentions, and deportations within immigrant communities.
The US Commission on Civil Rights has been conducting hearings with various stakeholders presenting their perspectives on FRT. While rights groups and advocates have raised concerns, government, enforcement agencies, vendors, and institutions, like NIST, have defended the technology. The Department of Justice emphasised its interim facial recognition policy prioritising First Amendment rights, while HUD submitted written testimony in recent weeks.
Why does it matter?
Official data from 2021 reveals that 18 out of 24 federal agencies surveyed were employing facial recognition technology, predominantly for law enforcement and digital access purposes. This ongoing debate underscores the growing scrutiny and debate surrounding using FRT in government operations and its impact on civil liberties and marginalised communities.
The House of Representatives has approved the reauthorisation of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), allowing US intelligence agencies to conduct foreign communications surveillance without a warrant. The bill passed by a vote of 273–147, extending Section 702 beyond its April 19th expiration. The debate over amendments to the bill revealed unexpected alliances, with bipartisan efforts to impose a warrant requirement for surveillance of Americans narrowly defeated.
Speaker Mike Johnson faced challenges securing enough votes for reauthorisation, with former President Trump weighing in against FISA on social media. After earlier failures to advance the bill, a revised version shortened the extension to two years to gain support from reluctant Republicans. The amendment requiring a warrant for accessing Americans’ data did not pass, with concerns raised about privacy and national security implications.
The reauthorisation underscores ongoing debates over privacy rights and national security measures in the United States. Senator Ron Wyden strongly criticised the House bill, expressing concerns about increased government surveillance authority and the lack of oversight in accessing Americans’ communications data.
While some lawmakers argued that the bill expanded surveillance powers, supporters emphasised its role in disrupting activities like fentanyl trafficking. However, the Senate must still vote on the reauthorisation before the 19 April deadline.
The Biden administration has announced a significant investment of up to $6.4 billion in grants for Samsung to expand chip production in central Texas as part of efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing. This funding, allocated under the 2022 Chips and Science Act, aims to boost chip production for critical sectors like aerospace, defence, and automotive industries, enhancing national security, according to administration officials. The move reflects a strategic push to bring cutting-edge chip manufacturing back to the United States, marking a pivotal development in the semiconductor industry, as White House National Economic Adviser Lael Brainard emphasised.
Samsung’s receipt of these grants positions it as the third largest recipient under the Chips Act program, following Intel and TSMC. The overarching goal of the Chips Act is to decrease reliance on semiconductor manufacturing in China and Taiwan, given the declining US global market share in this sector over the years. Lawmakers have raised concerns about over-dependence on Taiwan-based TSMC, considering geopolitical tensions with China over Taiwan’s status.
The subsidy will support the establishment of two chip production facilities, a research centre, and a packaging facility in Texas, providing critical infrastructure for Samsung’s expansion plans. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo confirmed that these investments will facilitate the growth of Samsung’s semiconductor facility in Austin, Texas, aligning with broader ambitions to lead in semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, research and development.
By the end of the decade, Samsung intends to invest approximately $45 billion in building and expanding its Texas facilities, showcasing a significant commitment to bolstering US semiconductor capabilities.
Lawmakers in the US Senate Commerce Committee are considering extending the deadline for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest the popular short video app used by millions of Americans. The US House of Representatives previously voted overwhelmingly to give ByteDance approximately six months to sell TikTok’s US assets or face a ban. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell has expressed support for extending the deadline to one year, suggesting it could enhance the likelihood of a successful divestiture.
Discussions about the possibility of a one-year deadline extension come amid ongoing deliberations among congressional leaders. Cantwell indicated plans to strategise with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner. Despite the House’s decisive vote, Cantwell emphasised the Senate’s intent to refine the legislation for firmer legal grounding, considering previous unsuccessful attempts to ban TikTok under the Trump administration and at the state level.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has joined the call for divestiture, citing national security concerns and labelling TikTok as a significant strategic threat. However, TikTok has vigorously defended itself, asserting that a ban would infringe upon the First Amendment rights of its 170 million American users. While concerns persist regarding potential data sharing with China, TikTok maintains its commitment to safeguarding US data, having invested over $1.5 billion in data protection measures and storage infrastructure within the country.
Following a recent Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting, the US and the EU have announced significant progress in aligning technical standards for digital identity. A joint statement released after the meeting outlines plans to identify use cases for transatlantic interoperability and cooperation, paving the way for cross-border digital identity and wallet usage.
This collaboration, which aims to harmonize technology and trade policies, has already yielded tangible results, such as the Digital Identity Mapping Exercise Report, which covers standards for electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions.
Despite some differences, notably in trust services, both sides are committed to continued information exchange through mechanisms like the Strategic Standardisation Information (SSI).
Why does it matter?
The EU and US share the world’s most integrated economic relationship, with the US remaining the EU’s largest trading partner. While the Digital Identity Mapping Report aims for shared terminology, it’s important to note that the EU member countries aren’t bound by US NIST guidance, and vice versa; harmonizing frameworks between them could streamline cross-border trade and promote secure transatlantic online access.
A bipartisan proposal in the US aims to bolster border control by integrating cutting-edge technologies such as AI, machine learning, biometrics, and nanotechnology. Spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the legislation mandates developing a comprehensive plan within 180 days to incorporate these technologies into border security operations. The move follows the release of an AI Roadmap for DHS and an executive order emphasising trustworthy AI for American benefit.
Representative Lou Correa highlighted the importance of investing in security-enhancing technologies to aid Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in swiftly responding to threats like human trafficking and hazardous migrant crossings. The proposed plan includes metrics, performance indicators, and privacy/security assessments to ensure effective implementation.
As cartels and foreign adversaries increase in sophistication amid the ongoing border crisis, the necessity to deploy advanced technologies becomes apparent. The legislation seeks to leverage commercially available technologies while empowering CBP Innovation Teams to adapt and integrate them into border security operations efficiently.
The bill also mandates that the CBP clarify operational procedures and roles regarding new technologies. Research areas outlined in the legislation encompass mobile surveillance vehicles, lighter-than-air ground surveillance equipment, tunnel detection, and other pertinent areas determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. Through bipartisan efforts, the proposal aims to equip officers with the tools necessary to safeguard the border effectively.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is poised to reinstate crucial net neutrality rules and assert new regulatory control over broadband internet, a move reversing the policies enacted under former President Donald Trump, announced FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel. The commission plans to finalise the rule reinstatement during its 25 April meeting, marking a significant shift towards ensuring equal and fair access to online content.
President Biden has called on the FCC to vastly expand government control of the Internet through Title II – a sweeping set of authorities better known by the Orwellian label "net neutrality."
News reports suggest the FCC will vote soon on a final order that would do just that.…
Net neutrality, a fundamental principle advocating for unbiased internet access without favouritism towards specific products or websites, underpins the proposed FCC regulations. Rosenworcel emphasised the essential nature of broadband internet, especially highlighted during the pandemic, and stressed the need for oversight to maintain fairness and accessibility for all users.
President Joe Biden has endorsed the reinstatement of net neutrality rules, aligning with his July 2021 executive order urging the FCC to restore regulations established under the Obama administration. However, Democrats faced obstacles in reinstating these rules until October 2021, when they gained majority control of the FCC. Despite Republican opposition, Rosenworcel contends that the reclassification offers essential national security measures and empowers the FCC to address equipment concerns from Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE.
Why does it matter?
While the FCC’s plan faces criticism from Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr, who argues against government control of the internet, proponents highlight increased broadband speeds, reduced prices, and enhanced competition as benefits of net neutrality rules. Despite the 2017 repeal, several states have implemented their net neutrality laws, indicating growing support for equitable internet access nationwide.
The US and UK have announced a partnership on the science of AI safety, with a particular focus on developing tests for the most advanced AI models.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and British Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington to collaborate on advanced AI model testing after agreements during the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park last November. The joint program will involve the UK’s and US’s AI Safety Institutes working together on research, safety evaluations, and guidance for AI safety.
Why does it matter?
The partnership aims to accelerate the work of both institutes across the full spectrum of AI risks, from national security concerns to broader societal issues. The UK and US plan to conduct at least one joint testing exercise on a publicly accessible model and are considering staff exchanges between the institutes. The two partners are among several countries that have created public AI safety institutions.
In October, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that its AI Safety Institute would investigate and test new AI models. The US announced in November that it was establishing its own institute to assess threats from frontier AI models, and in February, Secretary Raimondo launched the AI Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) to partner with 200 firms and organisations. The US-UK partnership is intended to strengthen the special relationship between the two countries and contribute to the global effort to ensure the safe development of AI.
The U.S. Department of State and the Government of Mexico are collaborating to assess and potentially enhance Mexico’s semiconductor ecosystem. This partnership falls under the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, which was established by the CHIPS Act of 2022 to bolster the global semiconductor ecosystem.
The initial phase involves conducting a comprehensive assessment of Mexico’s semiconductor industry, including analysing existing infrastructure, regulatory framework, workforce, and identifying potential areas for growth and improvement. Key stakeholders in Mexico’s semiconductor ecosystem, such as state governments, educational institutions, research centres, and companies, will participate in the analysis, with the involvement of the Secretariat of Economy of Mexico.
The collaboration underscores the significance of a resilient semiconductor supply chain for various industries, including automotive and healthcare. It builds on existing cooperation between the US and Mexico under initiatives like the High-Level Economic Dialogue and the North American Leaders Summit process, while also supporting efforts to enhance regional competitiveness in semiconductors, including workforce development, through initiatives like the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. The CHIPS Act of 2022 allocated funding, creating the ITSI Fund with $500 million over five years to promote secure telecommunications networks and semiconductor supply chain security and diversification.
