TikTok’s parent company is sidestepping US restrictions to use Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips.
ByteDance has gained access to the Blackwell semiconductors by hiring computing power from a Malaysia-based company, fueling the Chinese firm’s ambition of becoming a global AI leader, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Though some have argued that China’s abundant energy and manufacturing capacity give it an edge in the global AI race, Chinese executives say Washington’s restrictions on sales of the most advanced semiconductors are stifling the country’s AI development.
Others argue that Beijing’s short-term priority is focusing more on AI adoption than development. “Both superpowers fret about falling behind,” The Economist wrote, but “it may start to look like they are running in different races.”