OpenAI has thrown its support behind a package of bipartisan bills in Congress that would tighten US controls on China's access to advanced AI chips and the equipment used to make them. OpenAI communicated its backing to lawmakers this week, and supporters are aiming to attach the measures to the year-end national defense authorization bill.
The package includes the AI Overwatch Act, sponsored by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks, which would expand Congress's role when export rules for advanced chips change. The Chip Security Act would require manufacturers to track advanced processors and alert the government to suspected diversions to restricted users or regions.
The MATCH Act would press US allies, including the Netherlands and Japan, to restrict sales and servicing of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment for China. A fourth proposal under consideration, the Remote Access Security Act, would authorize the Commerce Department to oversee restricted GPUs rented through overseas data centers in places such as Singapore and Malaysia. Reports differ on whether OpenAI's support covers three of the measures or all four.
Key facts
- 01OpenAI told lawmakers this week it supports bipartisan bills tightening China's access to advanced AI chips.
- 02The AI Overwatch Act, from Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks, expands Congress's role when chip export rules change.
- 03The Chip Security Act would require tracking of advanced processors and alerts on suspected diversions.
- 04Backers aim to attach the measures to the year-end national defense authorization bill.
- 05Anthropic left a tech trade group in September over its push to block chip control legislation.
Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief of global affairs, argued that stronger controls would give the US and its allies more time to build AI safety standards, oversight systems and international coordination. OpenAI has also said it will not sell Jalapeño, its in-house AI chip, to China.
The position marks a return to an earlier stance. OpenAI advocated limiting high-end chip sales to China last year, then stopped pressing Congress for stricter restrictions. Reports this week said OpenAI executives had worried that publicly backing tighter controls would anger Nvidia's Jensen Huang, whose company is a major GPU supplier to OpenAI.
Huang stepped down as Nvidia CEO this week, with CFO Colette Kress named interim chief. He had long lobbied Washington to ease restrictions on chip sales to China, arguing that continued US sales protect American companies' business there and warning that restrictions could push Chinese buyers toward domestic suppliers.
Nvidia itself has stayed relatively quiet on the bills, while allied trade groups mobilized against the provisions this week, according to lobbyists cited in reports on the effort.
OpenAI is not the only frontier lab on this side of the debate. Anthropic has also backed tougher export controls, and it withdrew from a tech industry association in September after opposing that group's efforts to block chip control legislation.
Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said after Huang's departure that Congress should move quickly to pass bipartisan export control legislation in the year-end defense bill.
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