New China AI Chip Rule Puts Trump Admin, Lawmakers at Odds

The Trump administration formalized a path for U.S. chip companies to sell more powerful AI chips to customers in China with a new rule on Jan. 13, a day after House lawmakers celebrated the passage of a bipartisan bill aimed at closing a related export-control loophole in order to curb Chinese access to similar advanced AI chips. On Jan. 14, lawmakers criticized the new rule during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the AI race between the United States and the Chinese regime, where several members highlighted bills they recently introduced to support the United States’ lead in AI. “When an export shifts America’s military advantage, Congress has a role to play. Advanced chips absolutely shift military advantage,” said the committee’s chairman, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Mich.), who introduced a bill to increase oversight of AI chip sales to countries of concern....