The chief executive of a prominent artificial intelligence company has issued a stark warning about the United States' decision to permit the sale of advanced AI chips to China, describing the move as "crazy" and drawing a provocative comparison to selling nuclear weapons to North Korea.
National Security Implications Highlighted at Davos
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei expressed grave concerns over the Trump administration's recent approval for Chinese sales of Nvidia's H200 chip, which is the company's second most powerful AI processor. Mr Amodei emphasised that this decision carries "incredible national security implications" for the United States, potentially undermining its technological edge.
"We are many years ahead of China in terms of our ability to make chips," Mr Amodei stated during his address. "It would be a mistake to ship these chips... I think this is crazy. It's a bit like selling nuclear weapons to North Korea."
Contrasting Views on China's AI Capabilities
Mr Amodei's strong remarks come amidst a broader debate within the tech industry regarding China's progress in artificial intelligence. Interestingly, his comments contrast with those of Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hasabis, who downplayed the immediate threat from Chinese AI companies during the same forum.
Mr Hasabis claimed that Chinese AI firms are approximately six months behind leading laboratories in the United States and Europe, suggesting that industry-wide panic following the release of DeepSeek's R1 model last year represented a "massive overaction." While personally impressed by the technology, he noted that Chinese companies excel at catching up to existing frontiers but have yet to demonstrate significant innovation beyond them.
Partnership Paradox and Security Safeguards
The timing of Mr Amodei's criticism is particularly noteworthy given that Anthropic and Nvidia announced a "deep technology partnership" just two months prior to these comments. Nvidia currently supplies chips to Anthropic to power its AI models, including the popular Claude assistant, creating a complex relationship between critic and supplier.
Under the newly approved agreement for Nvidia chip sales to China, specific security measures have been implemented. Chinese customers must demonstrate "sufficient security procedures" and are prohibited from using the chips for military applications. Additionally, President Donald Trump stated that the deal would limit the quantity of chips sold to Chinese customers to help "keep America's lead in AI."
Nvidia responded to the approval with a supportive statement, saying: "We applaud President Trump's decision to allow America's chip industry to compete to support high paying jobs and manufacturing in America. Offering H200 to approved commercial customers, vetted by the Department of Commerce, strikes a thoughtful balance that is great for America."
The divergent perspectives from industry leaders highlight the ongoing tension between economic opportunities and national security concerns in the rapidly evolving AI sector, with significant implications for international relations and technological supremacy.
