
<a href="https://reason.com/2025/08/15/trumps-tracking-of-ai-chip-shipments-exposes-flaws-in-his-export-control/" target="_blank">View original image source</a>.
In an attempt to keep China in check, President Donald Trump has rolled out some surprising tactics involving AI chips. It’s not just about blocking sales; now the U.S. government is covertly tracking shipments to prevent those high-tech goodies from reaching Chinese hands. Imagine the government sneaking GPS trackers into chip shipments like a tech-savvy version of Santa Claus keeping tabs on the naughty list—except this time, the stakes are way higher than just who gets presents!
But here’s the catch: while selling advanced chips to China has been restricted, reports suggest that those efforts are hardly slowing down China’s tech ambitions. Black markets are popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm, and companies like DeepSeek are churning out competitive AI models with less advanced but cost-effective chips. You have to wonder if the government’s surveillance plan is akin to putting a band-aid on a leaky dam—temporary and kind of futile.
And it’s not all doom and gloom for American companies either. Some, like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, have even found loopholes, scoring export licenses to sell chips to China for revenue cuts. Talk about a twist! The struggle to balance security with commerce is becoming a real-life high-stakes drama that has more plot twists than your favorite action movie. With all that in mind, what do you think? Are the tracking measures a smart move or just passing the buck?
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