U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, has sent a letter inviting Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on June 11 to answer questions regarding the sale of chips to China and export control measures.
Warren stated in the letter that this hearing will provide an opportunity for Huang to explain Nvidia's views on U.S. export control laws, as well as Nvidia's business in China. She also requested that Jensen Huang submit an acceptance response by Monday (June 8).
This move by the Senate also aligns with the stance of Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who have called for an investigation into China, which is seen as attempting to hinder U.S. AI development and data centers.
Previously, Senator Warren had expressed concerns on this issue, worrying that American companies are profiting from selling technology that could ultimately undermine national security in the long term. She emphasized that this concern is urgent and serious because the chips in question are not ordinary chips, as they are being used for military purposes.
In addition to security concerns, Warren warned that AI technology could have a significant impact on the workforce and proposed imposing an excise tax on data center businesses to generate revenue to support public health, childcare, education, and vocational training for citizens.
Currently, Nvidia's chips are the main power source in data centers driving advanced AI models, allowing the company to greatly benefit from the golden age of artificial intelligence. However, this market leadership has attracted attention from both legislators and security officials, who have warned that high-performance American chips could be used by the Chinese government to enhance military capabilities and surveillance systems.
The U.S. government, under both former President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, has imposed restrictions to prevent China from accessing advanced AI chips. Meanwhile, Nvidia has argued that overly stringent controls could harm U.S. competitiveness and push customers to adopt technology from other countries.
