Nvidia’s new software could help trace where its AI chips end up

Nvidia Washington is developing software that can provide location data for AI graphics processing units (GPUs) as it steps up efforts to prevent the use of restricted chips in countries like China.

The optional service uses a client software agent that Nvidia chip customers can install to monitor the health of their AI GPUs, the company said in a statement. Wednesday blog post.

Nvidia also said customers will be able to “visualize GPU fleet usage globally or by compute regions (groups of nodes registered in the same physical or cloud locations) in a dashboard.”

However, Nvidia told CNBC that the latest software does not give the company or outside actors the ability to disable its chips.

“There is no kill switch,” he added. “There are no features that allow NVIDIA to remotely control or take action on registered systems for GPU health. Read”–only telemetry sent to NVIDIA.”

Telemetry is the process of collecting data from remote or inaccessible sources and transmitting it to a central location for the purposes of monitoring, analysis and optimization. The ability to locate a device depends on the type of sensor data collected and transmitted, such as IP-based network information, timestamps, or other system-level signals that can be mapped to physical or cloud locations.

A screenshot of the software posted on Nvidia’s blog showed details such as the machine’s IP address and location.

The features come after lawmakers in Washington called for Nvidia to equip its chips with tracking software that could help enforce export controls.

These rules prevent Nvidia from selling its more advanced AI chips to companies in China and other restricted regions without a special license. While Trump has recently said he plans to roll back some of those export restrictions, restrictions on Nvidia’s high-end chips will remain in place.

In May, Senator Tom Cotton and a bipartisan group of eight lawmakers Chip Security ActIf passed, it will require security mechanisms and location verification in advanced artificial intelligence chips.

Pressure on Nvidia intensified following a Justice Department investigation into smuggling rings that moved more than $160 million in Nvidia chips to China.

But Chinese officials pushed back, warning Nvidia not to equip its chips with “potential backdoors and vulnerabilities.”

Following a national security investigation into some of Nvidia’s chips to check for these backdoors, Chinese authorities blocked local tech companies from purchasing products from the American chip designer.

Although US President Donald Trump gave the green light to Nvidia to send its previously restricted H200 chips to China, Beijing reportedly It is not decided whether imports will be allowed or not.