The U.S. Commerce Department added many countries in the region to its chip export restrictions list in October. The list means U.S. companies will need a special license from the government to sell advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to companies in these nations. The delay in issuing licenses is intended to give U.S. officials time to form a strategy on shipping advanced chips abroad and to figure out who will manage and secure centers where AI models are trained.
Key takeaways:
- The U.S. is reportedly planning to restrict the export of advanced chips to Middle Eastern countries, adding to a list that already includes China and other adversaries.
- U.S. officials have slowed down issuing licenses to Nvidia, AMD, and other chip makers for shipping large-scale artificial intelligence accelerators to the Middle East.
- The U.S. Commerce Department added many countries in the region to its chip export restrictions list in October, requiring U.S. companies to obtain a special license to sell advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to companies in these nations.
- Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to invest $40 billion in a fund to develop AI technology, and is working with top U.S. investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, on the fund.