Nvidia has taken a firm stance against U.S. export limitations affecting chip sales to China. Their Chief Scientist, Bill Dally, now claims that these restrictions are causing many of the company’s former AI researchers to transition to work for Huawei. Dally suggests that the growing number of AI professionals in China has surged, from one-third of the global count in 2019 to nearly half currently, attributing this trend directly to U.S. policies.

“Without these limits, Huawei might not resort to cultivating its own AI talent so intensely, but now necessity compels them to do so to remain competitive,” indicated Dally.

Translation: “Sin estas limitaciones, Huawei podría no recurrir a cultivar su propio talento en IA con tanta intensidad, pero ahora la necesidad les obliga a hacerlo para seguir siendo competitivos.”

Nvidia appears to be pressing this narrative, likely targeting the U.S. government’s ears, to highlight potential negative repercussions of the ongoing export bans. The narrative resonates with those worried about the technological arms race between the U.S. and China.

At a recent event, Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, reiterated similar sentiments, asserting that many researchers in China continue to innovate with AI capabilities, adding, “If they don’t have sufficient Nvidia chips, they will develop their own.”

Additionally, Nvidia has expressed concerns about the financial impact of these restrictions, estimating it could lose billions due to limited access to the Chinese market as companies like Huawei advance with their homegrown processors. As Huawei’s capabilities improve, the emphasis lies on how Nvidia plans to respond in this shifting landscape.