Two lawmakers overseeing a committee on China have urged the Biden administration to tighten export restrictions on artificial intelligence (AI) chips, following industry lobbying to maintain the current rules. Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo calling for stronger measures to be implemented. They are specifically targeting a set of export control rules introduced in October 2022 that limit China's access to high-quality AI chips produced by US companies like Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Intel. The congressmen are pushing for even stricter regulations than those currently under consideration. The existing rules impose performance caps on AI chips exported to China, focusing on interconnect speeds and processing capabilities. While some adjustments have been made to comply with the regulations, they have had little impact on China's AI sector.

The potential tightening of rules has led to lobbying efforts from industry leaders, including the CEOs of Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm, who visited Washington to discuss China policy with administration officials. In response to this, the Semiconductor Industry Association, an industry group based in the US, called on the Biden administration to ensure continuous access to the Chinese market for semiconductors. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi are advocating for a more stringent approach, including lowering the speed limit for interconnectivity between chips to prevent circumvention of regulations. They also urge officials to consider limiting Chinese firms' access to advanced computing chips in the cloud, where major US companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google provide them as part of their services. The lawmakers stress the importance of protecting US technology and expertise in the realm of advanced computing and semiconductors. Additionally, alarmed by the potential harm of AI, US senators plan to hold hearings later this year to explore possible legislative safeguards.