China reportedly recruited AI exec to spy on Jensen Huang

Key points

• China's Ministry of State Security reportedly recruited Megaspeed executive Alice Huang to gather information on Nvidia's AI chips.
• Three House committees have asked Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to appear for a closed-door briefing on his interactions with Alice Huang.
• President Trump was briefed last year on the relationship between the two Huangs but took no action, according to the report.

China's Ministry of State Security recruited Megaspeed executive Alice Huang to spy on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, according to a New York Times report. The agency reportedly wanted her to gather information about American AI chips and to "potentially influence the company to push for its most advanced chips to be made available to China."

Megaspeed is an Nvidia customer, and Alice Huang is said to have relationships with executives at the highest levels of the AI chip industry, including leaders at Gigabyte. The two Huangs, who are not related, were described by the Times as having a close relationship.

Briefing requested by House committees

Three House committees asked Jensen Huang on the day before the report to appear for a joint, closed-door briefing on his interactions with Alice Huang.

The Times had reported last week that Jensen Huang was seen as the target of a "Chinese spy plot" and shared details of the pair's relationship. The detail that the MSS had recruited Alice Huang is new.

potentially influence the company to push for its most advanced chips to be made available to China

— The New York Times

Trump briefed last year

President Trump, who is friendly with Jensen Huang, was briefed last year about the relationship but did not take any action, according to the report.