In a high-profile meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang discussed the growing influence of Chinese AI firm DeepSeek and the future of AI chip export controls, sources confirmed. The discussion comes amid increasing concerns that China’s rapid advancements in artificial intelligence could challenge the dominance of US tech firms.
While Trump provided limited details on the conversation, he described Huang as a “gentleman” and indicated that the meeting was productive. “I can’t say what’s gonna happen. We had a meeting. It was a good meeting,” Trump told reporters.
The US government is preparing to tighten AI chip export restrictions this spring, aiming to curb China’s access to high-performance computing technology that could accelerate its AI capabilities. The Commerce Department has already imposed controls on the export of Nvidia’s A100 and H100 chips to China, and further measures are being considered to prevent advanced AI development outside US-allied nations.
Nvidia, the world’s leading AI chip manufacturer, acknowledged the meeting in a statement: “We appreciated the opportunity to meet with President Trump and discuss semiconductors and AI policy. Jensen and the President discussed the importance of strengthening U.S. technology and AI leadership.”
The timing of the meeting is significant, given that DeepSeek’s AI model has recently shaken the tech world, leading to a $1 trillion decline in US tech stocks as investors reevaluate AI market dynamics. Sources indicate that Trump believes the emergence of DeepSeek challenges the need for heavy AI investments by US firms, as it presents an alternative low-cost AI model.
As global AI competition intensifies, the US is ramping up efforts to secure its technological edge while maintaining restrictions on China’s access to cutting-edge innovations.
