U.S. Secretly Embeds Trackers in AI Chip Shipments to Detect Diversions to China
U.S. authorities have placed hidden location trackers in select shipments of advanced AI chips to monitor potential illegal diversions to China. The tactic, previously unreported, targets high-risk shipments and aims to enforce export restrictions on companies like Nvidia, AMD, Dell, and Super Micro. Trackers are embedded in packaging and sometimes inside the servers themselves, enabling investigators to track products and build cases against violators. The Department of Commerce, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations may all be involved. While U.S. officials see it as a law enforcement tool, Chinese authorities have criticized such measures as attempts to control technology access.