NVIDIA Takes Firm Stance Against Kill Switches & Backdoors in AI Chips

The statement comes as both US and Chinese authorities probe the lucrative global AI chip business, which NVIDIA dominates.

Massive chipmaker NVIDIA has taken a firm stance against adding backdoors and kill switches in its chips, even as some US lawmakers push for such embedded tracking features, and Chinese authorities allege these built-in controls are already in place.

“NVIDIA GPUs do not and should not have kill switches and backdoors,” wrote NVIDIA Chief Security Officer David Reber Jr. in an Aug. 5 blog post.

The generative AI boom catapulted NVIDIA to a market value of $4 trillion, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Who started the conversation about backdoors in NVIDIA chips?

The debate over backdoors and tracking technologies escalated after the perceived political power wielded by chipmakers who sell to both Chinese and US markets. NVIDIA’s advanced chips have long been ...