Chinese state-linked media has issued a strong warning about Nvidia’s H20 artificial intelligence chips, claiming they pose a security risk to China. According to these reports, the chips may contain a hardware “backdoor” that could allow for their remote shutdown. The comments came from Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, in a WeChat post on Sunday. The article also criticized the H20 chips as being “neither environmentally friendly, nor technologically advanced, nor safe,” and advised consumers to avoid purchasing them.
The H20 chips were developed specifically for the Chinese market after the U.S. restricted exports of advanced AI chips in late 2023. Although the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump initially banned sales of the H20 in April, the decision was reversed in July. On July 31, China’s Cyberspace Administration summoned Nvidia to address potential “backdoor” security concerns. Nvidia has consistently denied these allegations, stating its chips have no hidden access points or remote control capabilities. The company reiterated this stance on Sunday in response to the Yuyuan Tantian report.
This latest criticism follows similar concerns voiced earlier this month by People’s Daily, China’s flagship state newspaper, which called on Nvidia to provide “convincing security proofs” to restore market trust.
