US mulls new rules for AI chip exports, including requiring US investments by foreign firms

US officials are debating a new regulatory framework for exporting artificial intelligence chips and are considering requiring foreign nations to invest in U.S. AI data centres or security guarantees as a condition for granting exports of 200,000 chips or more, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The rules are not yet final and could change. Theywould be the first attempt to regulate the flow of AI chips to U.S. allies and partners ‌since President Donald Trump’s administration ⁠said it rescinded ⁠its predecessor’s so-called AI diffusion rules. Those rules sought to keep a significant amount of AI infrastructure buildout in the U.S. and route most purchases through a handful of U.S. cloud computing companies.