U.S. intensifies clampdown on Huawei over AI security fears

American authorities have dealt Huawei another heavy blow, driven by concerns about the evolution of artificial intelligence. They explain that these actions are taken to prevent potential threats.

The sanctions previously imposed have significantly affected the Chinese manufacturer. As a result, even the latest Huawei Pura 70 series smartphones lack Google services and do not support 5G technology. However, the company from China now faces new challenges.

Qualcomm and Intel have cut Huawei off from chip supplies. The information about this is semi-official. The United States Department of Commerce announced it had revoked some American licenses for collaborating with Huawei but did not provide a specific list of companies. Meanwhile, Intel informed its investors about losing a significant client from China without mentioning its name.

Additionally, according to Reuters, which quotes three independent sources, Qualcomm and Intel's licenses have expired, leading to a ban on them supplying chips to Huawei.

U.S. sanctions against Huawei were first imposed in 2019 and were selective initially. For example, Google was banned entirely from cooperating with Huawei, resulting in the absence of access to the Play Store and other services on this brand's smartphones. On the other hand, Microsoft can still provide Windows software to the Chinese giant. Qualcomm and Intel were allowed to supply chips but without 5G connectivity. Meanwhile, Japan's Sony lost the right to provide its photographic sensors to Huawei, as they partially rely on American patents. For similar reasons, MediaTek from Taiwan could not supply Huawei with chips.

Why did the Americans decide to toughen sanctions? U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo explained that it was due to concerns about the development of artificial intelligence. She also emphasized that if it is discovered that a previously licensed chip has artificial intelligence capabilities, the license would be revoked at that time.

Reuters mentions that the decision was taken following pressure from Republicans, who urged Joe Biden to adopt more decisive actions against Huawei. Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik stated that such actions would bolster the United States' national security, protect American innovation, and limit China's ability to develop its technology.

The Chinese response was swift. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that China firmly opposes the United States' excessive use of the concept of national security and the misuse of export control to unjustly restrict Chinese companies' activities.

It's noteworthy that Huawei has already become somewhat independent from American suppliers, though not wholly—the new flagship smartphones from the Huawei Pura 70 line use Chinese Kirin chips. However, in April, the mid-range Huawei Nova 12 models equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon chips were introduced to the Polish market. The latest MateBook X Pro laptop features an Intel chipset.

Huawei has not commented on the ban on cooperating with Qualcomm and Intel.