Nvidia don develop new location-verification feature for im artificial intelligence chips. Di move na to help prevent high-end GPUs from dem smuggle go countries wey export don ban, according to people wey sabi the technology.
Di capability never release yet but dem don show am private for recent months. E go come as optional software update wey customers fit install. E dey rely on the confidential-computing functions wey dey inside Nvidia latest graphics processing units, make operators fit measure computing performance and use communication delays between the chip and Nvidia-run servers to estimate the chip physical location, one Nvidia official talk.
"We dey implement new software service wey go empower data centre operators to monitor the health and inventory of their entire AI GPU fleet," the company talk. "Dis customer-installed software agent dey leverage GPU telemetry to monitor fleet health, integrity and inventory."
Curbing the illicit flow of advanced AI chips to China
Dem expect the feature go first land for Nvidia new Blackwell-generation chips, wey get expanded security and attestation capabilities, but the company still dey explore ways to support older Hopper and Ampere models.
If dem release am, the update fit answer mounting calls from the White House and bipartisan lawmakers to curb the illegal flow of advanced AI chips go China and other restricted markets.
Concern dem increase after US prosecutors charge China-linked smuggling rings wey dem accuse of trying to funnel more than $160 million worth of Nvidia processors into the country.
But the push for geolocation tools don also attract backlash for Beijing. China top cybersecurity regulator don question Nvidia whether such features fit act like backdoors wey go enable US access to secure systems — accusation wey Nvidia sharply deny.
The geopolitical tensions show again this week after President Donald Trump say e go permit exports of Nvidia H200 chips — the predecessor to the Blackwell line — to China. That statement make analysts doubt whether Chinese authorities go allow companies to buy them as scrutiny don tighten.
Security specialists talk say location verification fit build without compromising chip integrity or customer confidentiality, though Nvidia never announce when or whether the feature go become publicly available.
