A network of smugglers is aiding the Chinese military in acquiring powerful Nvidia microchips, bypassing a US national security blockade aimed at limiting China’s AI advancements.

The US, in its competition with China to lead the AI industry, plans to extend its export ban on semiconductor manufacturing equipment to Israel, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

This is part of a broader effort to prevent the modernization of foreign militaries through advanced AI, which could pose a global security threat to the US, Business Insider has reported.

Nvidia, a key player in the AI boom, is only permitted to sell a less-powerful version of its chip in China.

Written by B.C. Begley