Restrictions on selling the most capable AI chips to particular countries. It is the sharpest instrument any government currently has over AI development elsewhere, and it has reshaped hardware design, data centre siting and geopolitics over a very short period.
Technical view
Controls have been defined by performance thresholds combining computational throughput and interconnect bandwidth, prompting the design of compliant variants and repeated revision as those appeared. Enforcement challenges include diversion, remote access to hardware located abroad, and the difficulty of controlling cloud services rather than physical goods. Effects include accelerated domestic chip programmes in restricted markets and increased efficiency research under constraint.
Related
Part of AI Terminology Index, section: Governance, Law and Regulation.