(Reuters) – State-linked Chinese language entities are utilizing cloud providers supplied by Amazon (NASDAQ:) or its rivals to entry superior U.S. chips and synthetic intelligence capabilities that they can not purchase in any other case, latest public tender paperwork confirmed.
Offering entry to such applied sciences by the cloud isn’t a violation of U.S. rules.
A spokesperson for Amazon’s cloud enterprise, Amazon Net Companies (AWS), stated: “AWS complies with all applicable U.S. laws, including trade laws, regarding the provision of AWS services inside and outside of China.”
Following is an inventory of Chinese language entities that sought entry to restricted U.S. applied sciences by the cloud, in response to the paperwork that had been reviewed by Reuters.
Entities accessing or expressing curiosity in accessing AI fashions and computing energy by way of AWS:
1. Zhejiang Lab
The state-run analysis institute is creating its personal large-language mannequin, GeoGPT, and stated in a young doc in April that it meant to spend 184,000 yuan ($25,760) to buy AWS cloud computing providers, as its AI mannequin couldn’t get sufficient computing energy from homegrown Alibaba (NYSE:). The institute advised Reuters that it didn’t undergo with the acquisition however didn’t say why. Alibaba’s cloud unit, Alicloud, didn’t reply to a request for remark. Reuters couldn’t decide if the acquisition had been accomplished.
2. Nationwide Heart of Know-how Innovation for EDA
The state-backed entity, which helps Chinese language corporations develop chip design blueprints for mass manufacturing, stated in an April tender doc it spent 600,000 yuan to purchase an abroad AWS account for the aim of accessing Claude 3, an AI mannequin developed by Anthropic. Anthropic stated it doesn’t help or enable prospects or end-users inside China to entry Claude. The middle didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Entities accessing superior U.S. chips by way of AWS:
1. Shenzhen College
Shenzhen College spent 200,000 yuan on an AWS account to realize entry to cloud servers powered by Nvidia (NASDAQ:) A100 and H100 chips for an unspecified venture, in response to a March tender doc. Exports to China of the 2 Nvidia chips are banned by the U.S.
Shenzhen College acquired this service by way of an middleman, Yunda Know-how Ltd Co, the doc confirmed. The college and Yunda Know-how didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Nvidia didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Shenzhen College’s spending or on any of the opposite Chinese language entities’ offers.
2. Fujian Chuanzheng Communications School
The vocational faculty backed by the Fujian provincial authorities spent 85,000 yuan in August final yr on an AWS account that will give it entry to clusters made up of over 4,000 Nvidia A100 chips. The provider was Xiamen Hanwei Software program Know-how Ltd Co, in response to the August tender doc.
The faculty stated within the tender doc that the acquisition was designed to “keep pace with the latest developments in cloud computing technology…and enhance the quality of cloud computing talent training and professional development at educational institutions.”
The faculty and Xiamen Hanwei didn’t reply to requests for remark. An AWS spokesperson stated “the vast majority of this small tender pertained to skills training, and the very small portion that related to cloud services did not use any of the restricted AI chips.”
Entities accessing or expressing curiosity in accessing OpenAI instruments by way of Microsoft (NASDAQ:)’s Azure
1. Chongqing Changan Vehicle Co
The state-owned automobile maker stated in Could final yr it was on the lookout for a retailer authorised by Microsoft that would arrange Azure OpenAI accounts and combine generative AI know-how into the corporate’s programs and purposes. The corporate didn’t reply to a request for touch upon whether or not it went by with the acquisition. Microsoft didn’t reply to a request for remark and Reuters couldn’t decide whether or not the acquisition went by.
2. Sichuan College
In April, Sichuan College stated it was constructing a generative AI platform and buying 40 million Azure OpenAI tokens with a purpose to help the supply of this venture. The provider was Sichuan Province Xuedong Know-how Co Ltd, a Could tender doc confirmed. The Chinese language entities and Microsoft didn’t reply to requests for remark.
OpenAI stated in a press release its personal providers will not be supported in China and that Azure OpenAI operates underneath Microsoft’s insurance policies. It didn’t touch upon the tenders.
Entities accessing or expressing curiosity in accessing U.S. chips by way of cloud providers
1. Suzhou Institute of Superior Analysis, College of Science and Know-how of China (USTC)
The USTC institute stated in a March submitting that it wished to hire 500 cloud servers, every powered by eight Nvidia A100 chips for an unspecified goal.
The tender was fulfilled by Hefei Superior Computing Heart Operation Administration Co Ltd, a procurement doc confirmed in April, however the doc didn’t title the cloud service supplier and Reuters couldn’t decide its identification.
The U.S. Commerce Division added USTC to its Entity Checklist in Could 2024 for buying U.S. know-how for quantum computing that would assist China’s navy, and involvement in its nuclear program improvement.
USTC didn’t reply to a request for touch upon the transaction and on being placed on the entity record.
2. Southern College of Science and Know-how (SUSTech)
The college’s Division of Pc Science purchased in April 4 months of utilization time on a server powered by eight Nvidia A100 chips by paying 196,000 yuan to Shenzhen Yunbing Know-how Co Ltd for an unspecified goal.
The college’s Division of Mechanical and Power Engineering was added in February 2022 to the Unverified Checklist, which suggests events that have interaction in enterprise with the division should take extra compliance steps to handle U.S. issues about potential nationwide safety dangers.
SUSTech and Shenzhen Yunbing didn’t reply to requests for remark.
3. Tsinghua College
One of the vital frequent state-affiliated patrons of banned Nvidia chips stated in November 2023 that it deliberate to spend virtually half 1,000,000 yuan to hire 10 or extra servers, every powered by eight Nvidia A100 chips, to offer AI computing energy for an unspecified goal. The contract was awarded to Beijing Parallel Know-how Co Ltd, a Reuters verify confirmed. Neither entity responded to a request for remark.
4. China Coal Analysis Institute
A significant R&D hub for China’s coal trade, the institute stated in June it wished to buy 4 servers powered by Nvidia A100 chips. The institute didn’t reply to a request for remark. Reuters couldn’t set up if the acquisition went forward.
5. China Nationwide Information Infrastructure
China Nationwide Information Infrastructure, which operates the nation’s largest tutorial database, stated it wished to buy a cloud computing account with a validity of three years that would give it entry to Nvidia A100 computing energy. The tender was awarded to Interior Mongolia Tongfang Exploration Know-how Co Ltd, a Reuters verify confirmed. Neither firm responded to a request for remark.
($1 = 7.1429 renminbi)
