China reportedly recruited AI executive to spy on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang

China's Ministry of State Security recruited Megaspeed executive Alice Huang to spy on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, The New York Times reported. According to the newspaper, the agency enlisted her to gather information about American AI chips and to "potentially influence the company to push for its most advanced chips to be made available to China."

Who Alice Huang is

Megaspeed is a customer of Nvidia, and Alice Huang has "relationships with executives at the highest levels of the A.I. chip industry," including leaders at Gigabyte, the Times reported. The newspaper describes her relationship with Jensen Huang, to whom she is not related, as "close."

Trump was briefed last year

President Trump, who is friendly with Jensen Huang, was briefed about the relationship last year but took no action, according to the Times.

Congress wants a briefing

On Thursday, three House committees asked Jensen Huang to appear for a joint, closed-door briefing on his "interactions" with Alice Huang. The Times reported last week that Jensen Huang was seen as the target of a "Chinese spy plot"; the recruitment of Alice Huang by China's Ministry of State Security is the detail that had not been reported before.

Earlier coverage: Congress asks Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to brief committees over Chinese espionage concerns

Sources: The Verge