Nvidia’s Chief Security Officer, David Reber Jr., has publicly pushed back against pressure to add “kill switches” and backdoors to the company’s GPUs. In a recent blog post, he insisted that Nvidia’s chips “do not and should not have kill switches and backdoors,” addressing concerns from both the U.S. and China.
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Reber’s post appears to be a direct response to a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers who introduced the Chip Security Act in May. This proposed bill would mandate that manufacturers, including Nvidia, include tracking technology to prevent the illegal international transport of chips. The legislation also leaves the door open for “further security measures,” such as remote kill switches. This comes as Nvidia is seeking permits to resume selling some AI chips in China, where its most powerful hardware remains under strict U.S. export controls.
Reber argued that such measures are a dangerous overreaction. He called kill switches “an open invitation for disaster” and stated, “That’s not sound policy. It’s an overreaction that would irreparably harm America’s economic and national security interests.” He also referenced allegations from Chinese officials who have probed the possibility of “loopholes and backdoor” vulnerabilities in Nvidia’s H20 chips, sold in the country.
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Both Nvidia and the U.S. government want the company to remain the dominant supplier of AI chips to China. However, the prospect of the U.S. government having direct access to Nvidia’s hardware could push Chinese buyers toward homegrown alternatives. Chinese chip companies, like Huawei, are steadily improving their performance and production, raising the possibility that Nvidia’s market dominance could be threatened.
