Ten years ago, Huawei was shut out by the United States and a host of Western countries, blacklisted as a “security threat” and forced to slam the brakes on its global 5G ambitions. A decade later, Nvidia finds itself entangled in controversy over alleged “backdoors.” Jensen Huang’s painstaking negotiations finally secured the chance to export H20 chips to China, only for the Chinese government to demand security assurances and explanations.

History seems to be repeating itself, but with the roles reversed—today it is Nvidia trapped in the same predicament of self-exoneration once forced upon Huawei. As mistrust between China and the US continues to mount and technology becomes further entangled with nationalist sentiment, the global trajectory of AI innovation is clouded by even greater uncertainty.

The Backdoor Controversy: How Can Nvidia Clear Its Name?