Taiwanese prosecutors have charged nine individuals, including one Nvidia employee and two from Super Micro, with illegally exporting "high-end AI servers" to mainland China. The charges were filed on Monday, adding to the ongoing AI rivalry between China and the United States.
The servers in question are identified as B300 graphics processing units (GPUs), which are banned from sale to China. Prosecutors reported that 74 of these servers successfully arrived in China, with 50 sent via Indonesia, 16 directly to China, and eight routed through Japan and Hong Kong.
An additional attempt to export 56 servers was unsuccessful, with these units remaining in Taiwan. Prosecutors are seeking maximum five-year sentences for four of the defendants, including an Nvidia manager identified as Chang, who was reportedly a "key figure" in authorising the release of the B300 GPUs.
Nvidia spokesperson Patrick Rutherford stated the company will work with Taiwanese authorities to resolve the allegations. Super Micro confirmed the arrests of its former employees were due to its cooperation and pledged to enhance its export compliance program.