Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang invited to Senate hearing on China AI chips

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is being invited to testify before the Senate Banking Committee on June 11 as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sharpens her focus on the chip maker’s China sales, export controls and its role at the center of the global artificial intelligence boom.

“Your presence as a witness will give you the opportunity to testify regarding NVIDIA’s views on U.S. export control laws and regulations and NVIDIA’s business in China,” Warren wrote in a letter first obtained by CNBC. He asked Huang to confirm his participation by Monday.

Nvidia’s chips power many of the data centers behind advanced AI models, making the company one of the biggest winners of the AI ​​boom. But that dominance has also drawn growing attention from lawmakers and national security officials, who warn that advanced U.S. chips could be used by China to strengthen its military and surveillance capabilities.

As the Biden and Trump administrations move to restrict China’s access to advanced AI chips, Nvidia has argued that overly broad limits could hurt U.S. competitiveness and push customers to foreign alternatives.

Senate’s move coincides with Republicans’ move Household Energy and Commerce Committee Those calling for separate investigations into what China’s efforts are Blocking US AI and data center development.

Warren highlighted her concerns on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday, saying she was concerned that U.S. companies were profiting from sales of technology that could undermine U.S. security.

“Essentially, the Chinese are buying our stuff and American companies are profiting from it,” Warren said. “But it certainly undermines our long-term security.”

The concern is particularly serious, he said, because the chips in question “are not just chips that will help the AI ​​industry in general.”

“In China, these are actually chips used for military purposes,” Warren said.

The hearing will give senators a chance to ask Huang directly about Nvidia’s China strategy and export control stance, just weeks after Huang accompanied President Donald Trump to China for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Warren has also sought to broaden the AI ​​discussion beyond China and national security.

In the same CNBC interview, he warned that AI could cause major disruptions for workers and called for a consumption tax on data centers to help cover the cost of healthcare, child care, education and job training.

“We’re talking about a disruption that’s bigger than we could have predicted,” Warren said. “Now is the time to get ahead of this.”