Former White House deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger has criticized President Donald Trump for easing restrictions on selling advanced artificial intelligence microchips to China.
Pottinger, writing with Liz Tobin in The Free Press, warned that lifting the ban on Nvidia’s H20 AI chips would give Beijing a decisive edge in the technology race. “President Donald Trump’s team just gave China’s rulers the technology they need to beat us in the artificial intelligence race,” they wrote.
The pair, now with Garnaut Global, argued that the decision “effectively monetizes what was supposed to be a national security restriction,” after reports that Nvidia and AMD agreed to share 15% of China chip revenues for U.S. export licenses.
They noted China’s military ambitions, citing a video showing an AI-enabled robot dog armed with a rifle. “China’s lack of unfettered access to U.S.-designed AI chips is America’s clearest advantage,” they said. “By reversing the ban, the White House is helping Beijing’s Communist regime close the gap.”
Pottinger and Tobin urged Trump to halt H20 sales immediately.