Today, the AI Policy Network called on Congressional leaders to support the Chip Security Act, legislation to stop advanced U.S. AI chips from falling into the hands of our adversaries. In a letter to the leaders of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and House Financial Services Committees, President of Government Affairs Mark Beall urged the lawmakers to cosponsor the Chip Security Act and vote for the legislation.

“The threat posed by advanced AI chip proliferation is evolving just as rapidly as the new frontier AI models that use the additional computing power,” Beall warned. “As a result, sophisticated American AI tools could enable malign actors at both the state and non-state level to develop WMD-grade cyber weapons, develop novel pathways to nuclear weapons and biological weapons, and deploy inexpensive lethal autonomous drones.”

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Warren, Chairman Mast and Ranking Member Meeks,

I write to express our support for the Chip Security Act (S.1705/H.R.3447) and to share our views on the key provisions of this bipartisan and bicameral legislation to stop advanced U.S. AI chips from falling into the hands of our adversaries. This legislation is urgently needed and the intent is clear: allies and trusted partners of the United States should benefit from our advanced computing capabilities while our adversaries should not. 

The AI Policy Network (AIPN) builds bipartisan support for policies that help America prepare for AI systems of unprecedented scope and capability. Today’s AI systems are difficult to align and sometimes engage in unintended adversarial actions. As AI systems advance to become more intelligent than humans, these adversarial behaviors could make them uncontrollable. These concerns should be addressed through a comprehensive federal investment in research that supports American innovation, effective testing and evaluation of AI systems and effective export controls that enable us, not our adversaries, to decide how American innovation will be put to use. 

Chinese AI models are reliant on illegally obtained U.S. manufactured chip technology. For example, DeepSeek is reported to be training with smuggled chips. In 2024, an estimated 140,000 advanced AI chips—worth between $5-7 billion—were smuggled into China. Any approach to manage AI national security risks that relies on a system of approved exports to China must address the dangerous proliferation of U.S. chips through illicit smuggling networks. While there are several legislative proposals before your respective committees that would enhance our current security posture, the Chip Security Act uniquely requires location verification for advanced AI chips. Absent this capability, any additional export control regime established by Congress or individual export decision by the Administration to approve the sale of a specific AI chip cannot be adequately enforced.

President Trump’s forceful AI Action Plan states that denying foreign adversaries access to advanced AI computing capabilities is a matter of both geostrategic competition and national security. The Chip Security Act has mandatory reporting requirements that advance the President’s direction to “prevent our adversaries from using our innovations to their own ends in ways that undermine our national security.” Once enacted, chipmaker companies must report and share credible information about potential diversion of their sensitive technology.

The threat posed by advanced AI chip proliferation is evolving just as rapidly as the new frontier AI models that use the additional computing power. As a result, sophisticated American AI tools could enable malign actors at both the state and non-state level to develop WMD-grade cyber weapons, develop novel pathways to nuclear weapons and biological weapons, and deploy inexpensive lethal autonomous drones. Experts increasingly agree that powerful AI, potentially including superintelligence, could well arrive within the next five years. Superintelligent AI may reshape international power competition as much as nuclear weapons. The Chip Security Act requires the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to review and recommend to Congress additional methods to address illicit AI chip proliferation. This effort to identify additional safeguards will enhance congressional oversight over emerging AI threats.  

The Senate legislation introduced by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) has 9 bipartisan cosponsors. The House legislation introduced by Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) has 32 bipartisan cosponsors. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has incorporated additional feedback in the development of the latest ANS to the Chip Security Act that appropriately balances innovation with national security requirements.

I encourage all committee members to cosponsor the Chip Security Act and vote for the legislation. Doing so is consistent with your efforts to advance other legislative proposals to update our export controls and ensure regulations do not impede American innovation. As you work to advance your respective committee’s agendas, I urge you to protect America’s technological edge, promote American AI, and prepare for increasingly powerful AI by reporting the Chip Security Act favorably out of committee. Thank you for your consideration of these views.