Nvidia Warns of Chip ‘Disaster’ With Kill Switch Mandates
▼ Summary
– Nvidia denied Chinese government accusations of backdoors or kill switches in its chips, stating such features are not present and undermine trustworthy systems.
– The Cyberspace Administration of China claimed Nvidia’s H20 chip has location tracking and remote shutdown capabilities, citing unnamed US AI experts.
– US lawmakers are considering a Chip Security Act requiring location verification on exported chips, which critics argue could enable kill switches.
– Nvidia’s Chief Security Officer warned that kill switches or backdoors would be an “open invitation for disaster” and urged policymakers to reject such proposals.
– The White House’s AI Action Plan supports exploring location verification features to prevent advanced chips from reaching countries of concern.
Nvidia has firmly denied allegations from Chinese authorities about hidden vulnerabilities in its processors, while also warning against proposed legislation that could mandate remote shutdown capabilities in semiconductor technology. The company’s chief security officer emphasized that its chips contain no secret access points or mechanisms for unauthorized control, calling such features a dangerous precedent for global technology security.
Recent claims by China’s Cyberspace Administration suggested Nvidia’s computing chips, including the H20 model designed for the Chinese market, could track locations and be deactivated remotely. These allegations surfaced amid tightening U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are debating the Chip Security Act, which could require location verification and potential shutdown functions in exported chips, a move critics argue might create exploitable weaknesses.
Nvidia’s Chief Security Officer, David Reber Jr., dismissed the accusations in a detailed blog post, stating the company’s products are built without backdoors, kill switches, or spyware. He warned that mandating remote-disable features would invite catastrophic risks, including misuse by malicious actors or unintended disruptions to critical systems. The post also appeared to address growing pressure from U.S. officials who have long advocated for backdoors in encrypted technologies, arguing such measures compromise security rather than enhance it.
The proposed U.S. legislation aims to prevent high-performance chips from reaching adversarial nations, with supporters like Senator Tom Cotton framing it as a safeguard against misuse. However, Nvidia and industry experts caution that embedding remote-control mechanisms could undermine trust in semiconductor supply chains and expose systems to new vulnerabilities. The White House’s AI policy recommendations have similarly explored location verification, though without explicitly endorsing kill switches.
As tensions escalate between global tech regulators, Nvidia’s stance highlights the broader debate over balancing national security with the integrity of hardware design. The company insists that transparency and tamper-proof engineering, not government-mandated backdoors, are the foundation of secure computing. With billions in chip sales at stake, the outcome of these policy discussions could reshape how semiconductors are developed and traded worldwide.
(Source: Ars Technica)