Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Friday that he will not attend US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration but will instead be “on tour” celebrating the Lunar New Year with employees and their families.
Asked by reporters outside Nvidia’s New Year’s party in Taipei if he had spoken to the incoming Trump administration about the new AI export control rules that the outgoing Biden administration unveiled this week, Huang said : “not yet”.
“But I look forward to congratulating the Trump administration when it takes office.”
He also said he had met with CC Wei, president of Nvidia’s main supplier, TSMC, for a lunch where they discussed ramping up production of Nvidia Blackwell’s most advanced AI chips.
Rising demand for chips has catapulted Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia into the ranks of the world’s most valuable companies, with a market value exceeding $3 trillion.
However, new restrictions on AI chip exports imposed by the US government may complicate Nvidia’s ability to deliver the strong revenue growth that investors expect.
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Nvidia criticized Washington’s latest effort to tighten its control over AI chip flows around the world
The regulations, announced by President Joe Biden’s administration on Jan. 13, limit exports of AI chips to most countries except a select group of close U.S. allies, including Taiwan.
They also maintain a blockade on exports to some countries, including China, as the United States tries to close regulatory loopholes and prevent Beijing from acquiring advanced chips that could bolster its military capabilities.
On Monday, Nvidia criticized Washington’s latest effort to tighten its control over AI chip flows around the world, saying the regulation would jeopardize the current US leadership in AI.
Trump will replace Biden as US president on January 20. While it is unclear how his administration will enforce the new rules, both sides share similar views on the competitive threat from China.
The new regulations are scheduled to take effect 120 days after publication, giving the new administration time to evaluate the matter.
Huang attended an Nvidia New Year’s party in Shenzhen on Wednesday, according to posts on Chinese social media. He is expected to visit Beijing on Monday for the company’s party there, a source close to Nvidia said.
Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
With information from Reuters.
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