Foto: BB.LV / Элис Хуанг и Дженсен Хуанг
The American technology giant Nvidia has found itself at the center of a scandal related to possible activities of Chinese intelligence services. The company's board of directors announced the start of an independent investigation following reports about the personal relationship of CEO Jensen Huang with a woman whom American intelligence suspects of passing information to Beijing. This was reported by the LETA agency, citing AFP. ### Who is Alice Huang? According to The New York Times, published last month, American intelligence agencies determined that a woman named Alice Huang, associated with the Singaporean data center company Megaspeed, allegedly transmitted information to Chinese authorities. The publication claims she established a close relationship with Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang. Despite sharing the same surname, Alice Huang and Jensen Huang are not related. The information regarding the woman's alleged work for Chinese intelligence is based on information from American officials. The provided statement does not indicate that these suspicions have been proven in court. ### Nvidia CEO Admitted to Marital Infidelity On Sunday, Jensen Huang addressed the company's employees and admitted that he cheated on his wife. He apologized to his family and Nvidia employees. On the same day, the company's board of directors announced the start of an independent investigation. In an official statement, Nvidia said that the review is being conducted "in light of recent reports that the company's founder and CEO Jensen Huang has become the target of foreign intelligence services' efforts." Thus, the investigation concerns not only the personal relationships of the executive but also potential risks to the company's information security. ### Why Does This Story Involve Trump? Jensen Huang is considered one of the most influential figures in the global artificial intelligence industry. The Nvidia company he founded plays a key role in the production of computing chips used for the development and operation of modern AI systems. Additionally, Huang is an informal close advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump on technology industry matters. As noted by The New York Times, through her relationship with the Nvidia leader, Alice Huang could have gained insight into the American president's views on the development of artificial intelligence. However, the information provided does not suggest that Huang passed her classified information or knowingly collaborated with foreign intelligence. ### Trump Reportedly Knew About the Relationship for About a Year According to The New York Times, American intelligence services informed Donald Trump about Jensen Huang's relationship with Alice Huang approximately a year ago. However, the president, according to the publication, decided not to take any action. The scandal has erupted amid the ongoing technological rivalry between the U.S. and China. Trump has repeatedly opposed excessive regulation of the American artificial intelligence industry, explaining this as a necessity to maintain the U.S. advantage over China. It is expected that issues related to AI development will be one of the topics of Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen in November. How Alice Huang's alleged connections with Chinese intelligence might have affected Nvidia's security or access to sensitive information will be determined during the investigation. Additionally, the Nvidia Board of Directors emphasized that it currently has no reason to believe that U.S. national security or the company's trade secrets have been compromised. The investigation will cover all available information, and Huang has promised to cooperate with the investigators. In turn, China rejected the espionage allegations, calling the reports unfounded assumptions.
