US chip giant "Nvidia" opens independent investigation into espionage allegations in favor of China
Press coverage 2 newspapers covered this event: Al-Rai · KUNA →Nvidia board announces independent investigation into allegations of Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, suspected of spying for China
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Washington, Nov 8 (KUNA) -- The board of directors of NVIDIA, the U.S. pioneer in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries, announced on Sunday the launch of an independent investigation into media reports alleging that its CEO and founder, Jensen Huang, was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation amid allegations concerning his relationship with a person suspected of spying for China.
In a statement, the board said it had decided to form a committee of independent members, assisted by outside legal counsel, to oversee the investigation and assess available information regarding reports of a relationship between Huang and Alice Huang, an executive at MegaSpeed who has been accused of ties to Chinese espionage activities. The board affirmed that it currently has no reason to believe that this relationship led to a breach of national security or the leakage of NVIDIA’s secrets, noting that Huang supports the investigation and has pledged full cooperation.
The matter stems from a report published last Thursday by The New York Times, which stated that U.S. intelligence agencies discovered last year that Alice Huang had illegally smuggled advanced AI chips to China, coinciding with the development of a close relationship between her and the company’s CEO. NVIDIA and Huang previously denied the initial report, but Huang later acknowledged, according to Bloomberg on Sunday citing an internal memo to employees, that he was not faithful to his wife. He expressed apologies to his wife and children and accepted responsibility for his actions.
NVIDIA’s CEO is scheduled to appear on November 18 in a closed joint briefing requested by several Republican members of Congress who chair committees on China, foreign affairs, and intelligence, to discuss the company’s security protocols in the face of foreign espionage activities and the nature of his interactions with Alice Huang. This move comes amid growing concern in Washington over the risks of advanced technologies and AI chips reaching China, and the associated security and strategic implications. (End)
