Alibaba and ByteDance Spark AI Shockwave, Skirt U.S. Nvidia Chip Limits

Alibaba and ByteDance Spark AI Shockwave, Skirt U.S. Nvidia Chip Limits

By Nauman khan
Publication Date: 2025-11-27 12:17:00

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Top Chinese tech firms are training advanced AI models outside China to access Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) chips, the Financial Times reported.

Companies including Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) and ByteDance are running training workloads in Southeast Asian data centres under leases with non-Chinese operators, seeking to sidestep U.S. limits on some Nvidia chips like the H20, the report said.

Start-up DeepSeek trained its model in China after stockpiling Nvidia chips before export curbs. DeepSeek is also working with local chipmakers, including Huawei on next-generation processors.

The move follows Beijing measures encouraging domestic alternatives and a ban on foreign AI chips in state-funded data centres, according to the report.

U.S. policy is uncertain: President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing whether to allow more Nvidia exports to China, a decision that could reshape access to high-end accelerators.

Analysts say training abroad could blunt export controls and complicate Washington’s effort to slow China’s AI progress, while raising questions about supply-chain compliance and geopolitics.