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Malaysia to Tighten Semiconductor Regulations Amid U.S. Pressure

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Malaysia plans to impose stricter regulations on the movement of semiconductors, particularly those from Nvidia, as part of efforts to curb the flow of advanced chips to China under U.S. pressure. The United States has expressed concerns over the potential diversion of these critical chips to China, where they could be used in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Trade Minister Zafrul Aziz revealed that the U.S. government has asked Malaysia to monitor shipments of high-end Nvidia chips and ensure that they are not diverted to unauthorized destinations, particularly China. The U.S. is concerned that servers containing these chips may end up in Chinese data centers instead of the intended locations, and is pushing Malaysia to track every shipment of Nvidia products entering the country.

Malaysia’s investigation into the situation also ties into a broader inquiry regarding a fraudulent transaction case in Singapore, involving the illicit shipment of U.S. servers to Malaysia. These servers may have contained advanced chips covered by U.S. export controls. The case, which involves Singapore-based firms accused of supplying these servers fraudulently, is valued at $390 million. There are concerns that the shipments may have been intended for Chinese AI company DeepSeek, which gained attention for its AI model performance earlier this year.

The U.S. government is also probing whether DeepSeek has been using banned U.S. chips, as part of a wider investigation into the potential violations of export controls on semiconductor technologies.

Micron’s Shares Drop as Margin Forecast Dampens AI Prospects

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Micron Technology’s shares dropped 8% on Friday after the company issued a disappointing margin forecast, overshadowing strong quarterly revenue expectations driven by growing demand for its semiconductors used in artificial intelligence applications.

Despite being one of only three major suppliers of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for data-heavy AI tasks, Micron’s forecast for adjusted gross margin fell below expectations. The company cited lower pricing for consumer memory chips, particularly NAND flash, as a key factor affecting profitability. NAND flash memory chips, used in products like smartphones and personal computers, remain in oversupply due to aggressive buying during the pandemic, which has led to weak pricing.

Micron projected a third-quarter adjusted gross margin of around 36.5%, slightly below analysts’ forecast of 36.9%. This would represent a 3 percentage-point drop from the previous quarter. The company’s chief business officer, Sumit Sadana, acknowledged the ongoing challenges in the NAND market, with the oversupply continuing to put pressure on margins. Micron has also been reducing NAND production, which has led to underutilization and higher fixed costs per unit.

However, the company’s prospects in AI remain strong, with a forecasted revenue boost driven by high demand for its HBM chips, particularly from key players like Nvidia. Morningstar analysts highlighted HBM as a key growth driver for Micron, with AI and data center demand expected to continue.

Nvidia to Launch Quantum Computing Lab in Boston in Partnership with Top Universities

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Nvidia has announced plans to open a quantum computing research lab in Boston, aiming to collaborate with leading academic institutions such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). CEO Jensen Huang revealed the initiative during Nvidia’s annual software developer conference in San Jose, California, where the company held a dedicated day for quantum computing discussions.

The new lab, named the Nvidia Accelerated Quantum Research Center (NVAQC), will foster partnerships with prominent quantum computing firms, including Quantinuum, Quantum Machines, and QuEra Computing. The center is set to begin operations later this year. Huang’s announcement followed his earlier statement in January, where he suggested that practical quantum computers could still be two decades away—comments he sought to clarify during the event.

The quantum computing industry, which is still in its early stages, sees companies like Quantinuum and IonQ exploring commercial applications of quantum technology. Even though some quantum machines may eventually outperform Nvidia’s renowned graphics processing units (GPUs) in tasks like simulating atomic interactions, industry leaders emphasized that quantum computers are unlikely to replace classical systems. Instead, quantum and classical computing will likely work in tandem.

Huang highlighted the continued importance of Nvidia’s GPUs in current computational tasks, with quantum machines complementing traditional systems, not replacing them. He expressed optimism about the future of quantum computing, indicating that Nvidia’s involvement would further accelerate the industry’s growth.