US expands trade blacklist; adds Zhipu AI, Sophgo, and 23 other Chinese companies

The US has recently added 25 Chinese companies to its restricted trade list, including Zhipu AI – a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) models, and Sophg whose chip, made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) was found illegally integrated into a Huawei AI processor. Zhipu AI, which has received investments from Alibaba and Tencent, was accused of aiding China’s military modernization through its advanced AI research. Sophgo drew attention after its chip appeared in Huawei’s Ascend 910B multi-chip AI system, raising concerns about its role in furthering Huawei’s ambitions in artificial intelligence.