The power struggle behind the Jensen Huang scandal

Nov 11 – It’s the salacious scandal sending shockwaves through the most consequential relationship in global politics, so how will an affair involving the head of the world’s most important AI chip company with an alleged Chinese spy change US technology policy?

Jensen Huang has publicly apologised to his family and admitted infidelity, but this is no ordinary personal scandal.

Figures within the US intelligence community have for weeks been leaking allegations to media outlets claiming the head of chipmaker Nvidia had been close to a Singapore-based data centre executive who the US deemed to be a Chinese intelligence asset.

Beijing has rejected the claims and the US President says he believes Huang genuinely didn’t know the woman was a Chinese spy.

But analysts believe the leaking of the information in the first place reflects concerns by some in Washington that Huang is too close to the President.

And too influential over decisions about how or if the US should restrict the sale of Nvidia’s most powerful AI chips to China.

On this episode, Asia Specific podcast host Mariko Oi speaks to Tim Culpan, technology journalist, researcher and writer based in Taipei.

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