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The US draft AI chip sales rules being considered by the administration of Donald Trump could dramatically reshape the global artificial intelligence race. The proposed framework would give Washington sweeping authority over where the world’s most powerful AI processors can be shipped — and under what conditions.

At the center of the debate are chips made by industry leaders such as Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, whose hardware fuels the data centers behind cutting-edge AI systems used by companies like OpenAI and Alphabet Inc..

If implemented, the rules could transform the United States into a global gatekeeper for the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence.

A New Gatekeeper for the AI Era

Under the US draft AI chip sales rules, American officials have prepared regulations that would require companies to obtain U.S. approval before exporting advanced AI accelerators anywhere in the world.

Currently, export restrictions apply to about 40 countries. The new proposal would dramatically expand that oversight globally, according to people familiar with the discussions.

These accelerators — specialized chips designed for AI training and computing — are among the most coveted components in the technology sector. Companies deploy thousands of them inside massive data centers that operate platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

The potential regulatory shift sent ripples through financial markets Thursday. Shares of Nvidia dropped as much as 1.9%, while Advanced Micro Devices declined about 2.3% during trading.

How the Approval System Would Work

The draft rules envision a tiered approval process based on the scale of computing power companies want to deploy.

Small to Mid-Scale AI Clusters

Companies seeking shipments of up to 1,000 of Nvidia’s latest GB300 GPUs would face a relatively straightforward review process. Some exemptions could apply depending on the buyer and use case.

Larger Infrastructure Projects

Organizations building larger clusters would need preclearance before applying for export licenses. In some cases, they may have to:

• Disclose elements of their business model

• Allow U.S. government site inspections

• Provide additional data about how the chips will be used

The aim is to ensure that the most powerful computing systems are not diverted to unintended uses.

Massive AI Deployments Could Trigger Government-Level Deals

For truly enormous AI installations — more than 200,000 Nvidia GB300 GPUs owned by a single company in one country — national governments would have to step in.

According to people familiar with the draft policy, the United States would likely approve such exports only for allied nations willing to make strict security commitments and matching investments in American AI infrastructure.

To illustrate the scale, 200,000 GPUs roughly matches the number planned by UK-based chip-leasing firm NScale in a deal to supply processors to Microsoft across four data-center sites in the United States and Europe. The company has described the agreement as one of the largest AI infrastructure contracts ever signed.