China's Intelligence Agency Reportedly Recruited AI Executive to Spy on Nvidia CEO
The New York Times reports that China's Ministry of State Security recruited Megaspeed executive Alice Huang to gather information on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Three US House committees have asked him to attend a closed-door briefing.
China's Ministry of State Security (MSS), the country's intelligence agency, recruited Megaspeed executive Alice Huang to spy on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, according to The New York Times. Nvidia is a US technology company that makes AI chips, and Megaspeed is one of its customers. The report matters because it touches on the US-China contest over access to the most advanced AI chips.
What China allegedly wanted
The MSS enlisted her to glean information about American AI chips and, potentially, to influence Nvidia to push for its most advanced chips to be made available to China, the newspaper says. It adds that Alice Huang has relationships with executives at the highest levels of the AI chip industry, including leaders at Gigabyte.
Earlier reporting and the relationship
Last week, the NYT reported that Jensen Huang was seen as the target of a "Chinese spy plot" and shared details about the relationship between the two Huangs. The new element is that the MSS recruited her. The paper describes the relationship as "close"; the two are not related.
US President Donald Trump, who is friendly with Jensen Huang, was briefed on the relationship last year but did not take any action.
Congressional request
Yesterday, three House committees asked Jensen Huang to appear for a joint, closed-door briefing on his "interactions" with Alice Huang.
