China Adds AI Chips to Secure Technology Assessment List Amid US Curbs
China has taken a significant step by including artificial intelligence chips in its official assessments of "secure and reliable" technology for the first time. On Tuesday, the China Information Technology Security Evaluation Centre, along with the National Secrecy Science and Technology Evaluation Centre, released these evaluations, creating a new category for "AI training and inference chips" that will last for three years. This new approval framework serves as a purchasing guide for party agencies and state-related clients under the Xinchuang initiative, which aims to substitute foreign technology. The focus of this shift is on AI infrastructure, particularly in response to US export restrictions affecting suppliers like Nvidia.
Key facts
- China added AI chips to its secure technology assessment list for the first time.
- The China Information Technology Security Evaluation Centre and the National Secrecy Science and Technology Evaluation Centre released the list on Tuesday evening.
- A new category for 'AI training and inference chips' was created.
- Certifications are valid for three years.
- The approvals serve as a procurement catalogue for party and government agencies under the Xinchuang initiative.
- Xinchuang is a campaign to replace foreign hardware and software in sensitive systems.
- The move targets Nvidia and other foreign AI chip suppliers.
- US export controls on advanced GPUs have accelerated China's push for domestic alternatives.
Entities
Institutions
- China Information Technology Security Evaluation Centre
- National Secrecy Science and Technology Evaluation Centre
- Intel
- Advanced Micro Devices
- Oracle
- Nvidia
Locations
- China