US senator calls for AI chip tracking to protect national security

A new bill introduced by Republican Senator Tom Cotton aims to bolster national security by requiring location verification features on American-made AI chips .

The Chip Security Act, announced on 9 May, would ensure such technology does not end up in the hands of foreign adversaries, particularly China .

Cotton urged the US Departments of Commerce and Defence to assess how tracking mechanisms could help detect and prevent illegal chip exports.

He also called for stricter obligations for companies exporting AI chips, including notifying authorities if devices are tampered with or redirected from their original destinations.

The proposed legislation follows a policy shift announced on 7 May by the Trump administration to ease restrictions on AI chip exports previously imposed under President Biden.

Cotton argued that better security practices could allow US firms to expand globally without undermining the country’s technological edge.

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