Nvidia denies Chinese claims that its H20 chips pose security risks, calling allegations of backdoors and remote shutdown capabilities unfounded

Nvidia has strongly denied allegations from Chinese state media that its H20 artificial intelligence chips pose a national security risk, pushing back against claims that the chips contain hidden hardware backdoors or remote shutdown capabilities. The company reiterated that it does not build any "backdoors" into its products that would allow unauthorized access or control. The controversy emerged after a post by Yuyuan Tantian, an official WeChat account linked to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, criticized the H20 chip as outdated, environmentally unfriendly, and unsafe. The article claimed the chip could be remotely deactivated through a hardware "backdoor," raising concerns about potential vulnerabilities. In response, a Nvidia spokesperson told CNBC: “Cybersecurity is critically important to us. NVIDIA does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them.” The company also dismissed claims of a “kill switch” that could disable the chips remotely, calling such assertions false and misleading. The H20 chip was specifically designed for the Chinese market following U.S. export restrictions imposed in late 2023 on advanced AI chips like the H100 and B100. These restrictions were driven by national security concerns that China could use powerful U.S.-made chips to advance its military and AI capabilities. In response, Nvidia developed the H20 as a lower-performance alternative that complies with U.S. regulations while still serving Chinese customers. Despite the restrictions, Nvidia resumed shipments of the H20 to China earlier this year, reversing a prior ban enacted during the Trump administration. The move was seen as a strategic step to maintain market presence in one of the world’s largest tech markets, even as tensions over semiconductor exports continue to rise. While Chinese state media has portrayed the H20 as inferior and risky, Nvidia maintains that the chip is secure, compliant with export rules, and suitable for legitimate AI workloads. The company emphasizes that all its products undergo rigorous security testing and are designed with transparency and integrity in mind.