Microsoft, Google, & other CSPs are reportedly offering China access to NVIDIA's cutting-edge AI hardware, potentially creating a workaround for US regulations.
China Has Still Access To NVIDIA's Cutting-Edge AI Hardware Despite US Restrictions Through "Legal" Workarounds
It looks like the US sanctions couldn't manage to thwart the AI developments in China, as the nation has sought out alternatives through workarounds that cannot be penalized. After the emergence of in-house AI solutions, it looks like the big tech firms are collaborating with Chinese customers to provide them with access to NVIDIA's high-end AI hardware, such as the H100-based AI servers, which can't be directly exported to China. The report comes from The Information, citing unnamed sources within the firms involved in business with China.
Expanding upon the development, the media outlet says that "renting AI hardware" to hostile nations is certainly not a violation of US regulations and that firms like Google and Microsoft are indeed involved in this business. Microsoft is responsible for lending NVIDIA's A100 and H100-based servers to Chinese customers, while Google does the same. It looks like despite China not having the supply of NVIDIA's high-end AI servers; the country still has access to modern hardware, which is why the rapid pace of development of the regional AI industry is still there. It should be pointed out that exports of both the A100 and H100 AI accelerators are banned in China.
Moreover, there are sectors of the AI markets that only deal with providing access to NVIDIA's high-end AI servers to customers around the world, with China being a primary dealer. This means that despite the export restriction of NVIDIA's AI hardware, Chinese tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba still have access to the computing power, although they will have to pay the "rental premium."
The Biden administration has yet to rule on whether this is allowed, but Google is confident that such a business complies with US terms and conditions. China does always find ways to bypass US sanctions, whether it is in the AI hype or something similar. We previously reported on how NVIDIA's H100s were being sold in China's black markets at astonishing prices, which shows that China isn't entirely restricted to NVIDIA's AI hardware.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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