Nvidia rejects U.S. demands for AI chip backdoors and kill switches

Nvidia has rejected U.S. government demands to include backdoors and kill switches in its AI chips, with the company’s chief security officer publishing a blog post calling such measures “an open invitation for disaster.” The pushback comes as bipartisan lawmakers consider legislation requiring tracking technology in AI chips, while Chinese officials have alleged that backdoors already exist in Nvidia’s hardware sold in China.

What you should know: Nvidia’s stance directly opposes the proposed Chip Security Act, which would mandate security measures including potential remote kill switches.

• The bipartisan bill introduced in May would require Nvidia and other manufacturers to include tracking technology to identify when chips are illegally transported internationally.
• David Reber Jr., Nvidia’s chief security officer, argued that “there is no such thing as a ‘good’ secret backdoor, only dangerous vulnerabilities that need to be eliminated.”
• The company maintains that such measures “violate the fundamental principles of cybersecurity.”

In plain English: A backdoor is like having a secret entrance to your house that only you’re supposed to know about—but in reality, anyone who discovers it can use it to break in. Kill switches are remote controls that can shut down computer chips from anywhere in the world, even without the owner knowing.

The big picture: Nvidia finds itself caught between competing geopolitical pressures as it navigates export controls and market access in China.

• The company’s most powerful AI chips remain under strict U.S. export controls to China and other countries.
• Chinese officials have launched a probe into alleged “loopholes and backdoor” vulnerabilities in the H20 chips that Nvidia has been selling in the country.
• Both Nvidia and the U.S. government want the company to maintain dominance in China’s AI chip market, but backdoor requirements could jeopardize that position.

Why this matters: The debate highlights the tension between national security concerns and maintaining competitive advantages in the global AI chip market.

• Chinese chip companies are steadily improving their performance and production capacity as China seeks homegrown alternatives to U.S. technology.
• Direct U.S. access to Nvidia’s hardware could accelerate China’s shift toward domestic suppliers like Huawei, a Chinese tech giant, potentially costing Nvidia significant market share.
• Reber Jr. explicitly warned that kill switches would “irreparably harm America’s economic and national security interests.”

What they’re saying: Nvidia’s security chief made his opposition clear in terms of both policy and security.

• “To mitigate the risk of misuse, some pundits and policymakers propose requiring hardware ‘kill switches’ or built-in controls that can remotely disable GPUs without user knowledge and consent,” Reber Jr. wrote.
• “That’s not sound policy. It’s an overreaction that would irreparably harm America’s economic and national security interests.”