Nvidia appears to have made progress in securing sales of its RTX Pro 5500 chips in China, as the country is reportedly considering lifting export restrictions.
Sources familiar with China’s discussions told The Information that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is asking Alibaba and ByteDance to detail plans for purchasing the chips, which are currently banned under US export controls.
The RTX Pro 5500 chips, though primarily gaming chips, are being considered for use in servers to power China’s most in-demand AI models. This potential shift could help Nvidia regain some momentum in China’s AI market, which has been hampered by export restrictions since Biden’s administration.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has increasingly influenced Trump’s views on AI, with Trump aligning with Huang’s stance on downplaying risks associated with the technology. This relationship has led to the lifting of export controls on H200 chips, which China has since allowed some firms to purchase.
"Jensen is now the president’s most influential adviser on technology issues," said Stephen Witt, author of The Thinking Machine. "The two have become quite close." Witt noted that Trump’s recent statements about AI being an economic boon align with Huang’s talking points, reflecting a shared low sense of risk regarding the technology.
Critics argue that Huang’s influence may be steering Trump away from serious discussions about AI risks with China. Meanwhile, the US and China are reportedly loosening controls, which could lead to more chips being diverted to China, potentially affecting US data centers’ access to domestic chip supplies.
Source: arstechnica
