Nvidia Opens Independent Investigation into Allegations of Espionage for China
Press coverage 2 newspapers covered this event: Al-Rai · KUNA →
Nvidia's board of directors announces an independent investigation into allegations of spying on Jensen Huang for China.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
The board of directors of the US-based semiconductor and artificial intelligence pioneer Nvidia announced on Sunday that it had launched an independent investigation into media reports alleging that its CEO and co-founder, Jensen Huang, was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation in connection with claims regarding 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 had no reason to believe that this relationship had compromised national security or led to the leakage of Nvidia’s secrets, noting that Huang supported the investigation and pledged full cooperation.
The matter stems from a report published last Thursday by The New York Times, which stated that US 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 had previously denied the initial report, but Huang later acknowledged, according to Bloomberg on Sunday, that he had not been faithful to his wife in an internal memo addressed to company employees. He expressed regret to his wife and children and accepted responsibility for his actions.
Jensen Huang is scheduled to appear on November 18 in a closed-door 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 strategic and security implications.
