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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has agreed to face questions from US lawmakers following growing scrutiny over his reported connections to a Chinese businesswoman suspected of passing information to Beijing.
Three senior Republican lawmakers requested Huang's appearance: Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; John Moolenaar, who leads the House Select Committee on China; and Eric Crawford, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. They had asked the NVIDIA chief for a closed-door briefing on November 18.
The lawmakers want to understand his reported interactions with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed, and examine NVIDIA's safeguards against foreign intelligence activity. The allegations have raised questions about the security of advanced US technology and its potential transfer to China.
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The controversy follows a New York Times report alleging that Alice Huang had a close relationship with the NVIDIA CEO and was suspected of passing information to Beijing. US authorities have also reportedly examined Megaspeed over concerns that it may have helped Chinese customers obtain advanced NVIDIA chips despite export restrictions.
The allegations have not established that Jensen Huang or NVIDIA knowingly assisted any intelligence operation. The company has previously said its regional cloud customers receive ordinary business information, not sensitive trade secrets or information relevant to US national security.
NVIDIA sits at the center of the US-China technology rivalry. Its graphics processing units are widely used to develop and operate advanced AI systems, making access to the company's products an important national security issue for Washington.
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The US government has imposed restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China to limit access to technology that could support military and strategic applications.
Huang's appearance before Congress could give lawmakers an opportunity to question NVIDIA's customer screening, security procedures and approach to export controls. The discussions are expected to take place behind closed doors, reflecting the sensitivity of the issues involved.