US Tech Giants Urge Biden To Halt AI Chip Restrictions

Leading US tech companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Meta, under the aegis of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), on Tuesday, urged President Joe Biden’s administration to refrain from issuing a last-minute rule that would control global access to Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips.

They warned that the restrictions would jeopardise US leadership in artificial intelligence.

The rule, expected as early as Friday, is part of efforts to curb the use of advanced AI technologies by adversaries, particularly China, by imposing sweeping restrictions on the sale of AI chips overseas.

Though the target is China, this would also limit access to AI chips from the US for several other countries of the world, including Nigeria, which is currently pushing its AI agenda.

The White House and the Department of Commerce have not responded, according to Reuters’ report.

The Information Technology Industry Council CEO Jason Oxman criticised the administration’s “insistence” on publishing the rule in the final days of Joe Biden’s presidency, according to a letter to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the Reuters report said.

“Rushing a consequential and complex rule to completion could have significant adverse consequences,” Oxman said in the January 7 letter, a copy of which was obtained by reporters.

While the industry acknowledges the importance of national security, Oxman emphasized the potential risks to U.S. leadership in AI.

He urged the administration to adopt a more measured approach, calling for the rule to be issued as a proposed rulemaking to allow for broader consultation and deliberation.