The Circuit Episode 101 Part 1: Discussion with Jordan Schneider (ChinaTalk) on New Semi Regulations
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Jan 20, 2025 
Jordan Schneider, founder of ChinaTalk and expert in U.S.-China technology relations, dives into the intricate world of semiconductor regulations. He sheds light on recent U.S. restrictions aimed at curbing China's tech advancements and the motivations behind them. The discussion unveils potential workarounds by Chinese firms and examines the implications for AI innovation. Schneider also tackles the global competition between the U.S. and China and explores the future landscape shaped by these regulatory challenges.
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Export Controls Tightened Gradually
- The U.S. export controls evolved slowly from October 2022 and tightened over time to close loopholes on semicap equipment and AI chips.
- They aimed to block China's access to leading-edge nodes and limit certain chip and equipment sales to specific buyers.
Three-Layer Control Framework
- The new rules cover three domains: manufacturing equipment, chips, and AI diffusion controls for data center locations.
- The AI rules create country tiers and require licenses for non-favored nations to access top AI chips and large-scale cloud capacity.
U.S. Veto On Where Compute Is Built
- The AI diffusion rule gives the U.S. visibility and veto power over where compute is built, favoring U.S. and close allies for large data centers.
- It may require a portion of future capacity to be in trusted countries before allowing exports to third parties.