Amodei warns US AI chip exports to China risk national security

Concerns are growing after Amodei warned that exporting advanced AI chips to China could weaken US national security.
Cargo ships at sea symbolising Amodei's warning over US AI chip exports to China and national security risks

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has criticised the US decision to allow the export of advanced AI chips to China, warning it could undermine national security. Speaking at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, he questioned whether selling US-made hardware abroad strengthens American influence.

Amodei compared the policy to ‘selling nuclear weapons to North Korea‘, arguing that exporting cutting-edge chips risks narrowing the technological gap between the United States and China. He said Washington currently holds a multi-year lead in advanced chipmaking and AI infrastructure.

Sending powerful hardware overseas could accelerate China’s progress faster than expected, Amodei told Bloomberg. He warned that AI development may soon concentrate unprecedented intelligence within data centres controlled by individual states.

Amodei said AI should not be treated like older technologies such as telecoms equipment. While spreading US technology abroad may have made sense in the past, he argued AI carries far greater strategic consequences.

The debate follows recent rule changes allowing some advanced chips, including Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X, to be sold to China. The US administration later announced plans for a 25% tariff on AI chip exports, adding uncertainty for US semiconductor firms.

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