A rising tide of bipartisan concern is sweeping Capitol Hill as lawmakers push the Biden administration to address China's increased usage of the open-source RISC-V chip design. This technological battleground, as some legislators argue, could potentially compromise US national security.
The RISC-V technology, colloquially known as "risk five," is an open-source platform that provides an alternative to high-priced proprietary technology such as that from the British semiconductor giant, Arm Holdings, and Intel Corp. It's versatility in application ranges from powering smartphone chips to sophisticated artificial intelligence processors.
While American tech behemoths like Qualcomm and Google's parent company, Alphabet, have readily adopted RISC-V, a parallel trend is emerging among Chinese firms. This eastward shift has given rise to apprehensions among US lawmakers.
According to recent disclosures, a subset of influential US policymakers perceives the Chinese embrace of this technology as a potential national security threat. Their fears stem from the fact that RISC-V sidesteps the rigorous export controls that the US enforces on chip technology exports to China.
In a concerted move to seek clarity and possible intervention, a group of 18 lawmakers - which includes both Republicans and Democrats - has penned a letter to the Biden administration. They explicitly questioned the White House's strategy to thwart China from gaining a stranglehold over RISC-V technology and "leveraging that dominance at the expense of U.S. national and economic security." The list of signatories boasts the Republican chairman, the ranking Democrat from the select committee on China in the House, and Democratic representatives from states like New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, and Indiana.
The letter also broached the topic of leveraging existing executive orders to mandate US companies to secure an export license prior to any collaborative undertakings with Chinese entities on RISC-V.
The lawmakers' collective contention is clear-cut. They wrote, "While the benefits of open-source collaboration on RISC-V promise to be significant for advancement and development of the US semiconductor industry, it can only be realized when contributors are working with the sole aim of improving the technology, and not aiding the technological goals and geopolitical interests of China."
Reacting to the legislative overture, a spokesperson from the Commerce Department acknowledged the receipt of the letter. A formal response is anticipated through official channels in due course.
As the technological landscape evolves, the debate over open-source platforms and national security implications will likely intensify, spotlighting the delicate balance between innovation, collaboration, and protection of national interests.
