US chipmaker Nvidia has confirmed that it has developed a new technology that can help verify the location where its computer chips are being used. This move could help stop the illegal smuggling of the company’s artificial intelligence chips into countries where exports are banned, including China. The technology has been shown privately but has not yet been released to customers, according to Reuters.
The system will work through software that customers can choose to install. It will use the built-in security features of Nvidia’s GPUs. The software checks the chip’s performance and uses a time delay in communication to estimate where the chip is operating. Nvidia officials said this method gives a location estimate similar to other internet-based services.
Nvidia said the software will be open-source. This means outside experts can review it for security issues. The company also clarified that it does not have remote control over customers’ systems. The data sent to its servers is read-only, and no feature allows anyone to shut down a GPU. The company strongly denied the existence of any “kill switch” or backdoor.
The new feature will first be available on Nvidia’s latest Blackwell chips. They have stronger security tools than older models, such as Hopper and Ampere. Nvidia is also studying whether similar options can be added to those earlier chips.
If released, the technology may help answer concerns from the US government about AI chips being smuggled into restricted countries. US authorities have recently filed criminal cases against groups accused of trying to move large amounts of Nvidia chips into China. At the same time, China’s cybersecurity regulator has questioned Nvidia over fears that such technology could be used for spying.
This proposed location verification technology shows how global politics and advanced technology are becoming closely linked. Countries are tightening rules on the use and movement of powerful AI chips. And companies like Nvidia are under pressure to balance security demands with customer trust.
