A war of words has erupted between two major players in the AI space, NVIDIA and Anthropic, as the United States tightens the leash on those who get access to powerful chips that fuel advanced artificial intelligence.
At the heart of the clash is the US Department of Commerce’s AI Diffusion Rule, which is a policy set to take effect on May 15. The rule creates global export controls on high-end AI chips and model weights, aiming to slow down rival nations like China in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.
Anthropic to the US government: Tighten the rules
Anthropic, an AI startup backed by billions from Amazon, has endorsed the export restrictions and even wants them to be extended.
In a blog post titled “Securing America’s Compute Advantage: Anthropic’s Position on the Diffusion Rule,” the company urged the US to clamp down harder on the international flow of advanced semiconductors. According to Anthropic, “maintaining America’s compute advantage through export controls is essential for national security and economic prosperity.”
The company warned that Chinese firms like DeepSeek are making rapid progress using chips obtained before restrictions began, and that any delay in enforcement would invite further stockpiling. Anthropic called for:
- Lowering the number of chips Tier 2 countries can buy without a license.
- Adjusting country tiers based on their security systems and smuggling risks.
- Increasing funding to US export enforcement agencies.
But some claims in the blog post raised eyebrows and tempers: Anthropic wrote that Chinese smuggling networks have resorted to hiding AI chips “in prosthetic baby bumps” and “packed alongside live lobsters.”
NVIDIA: Focus on innovation rather than ‘tall tales’
The chip giant NVIDIA, whose hardware powers most of the world’s AI models, including those built by Anthropic, fired back in a rare public rebuke.
“American firms should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales that large, heavy, and sensitive electronics are somehow smuggled in ‘baby bumps’ or ‘alongside live lobsters,’” a spokesperson for NVIDIA told CNBC. NVIDIA accused Anthropic of pushing policy to suppress competition rather than earn leadership through innovation.
“China, with half of the world’s AI researchers, has highly capable AI experts at every layer of the AI stack. America cannot manipulate regulators to capture victory in AI,” the spokesperson added.
A fight with billions at stake
While both companies are American, their priorities differ.
Anthropic wants to preserve US leadership by restricting who gets access to AI computing power, believing it’s the key to keeping China from catching up.
“DeepSeek openly acknowledges that chip restrictions are their primary constraint,” Anthropic wrote.
NVIDIA sees such restrictions as a threat to its global business and believes China is already neck-and-neck with the US in AI development. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said during a visit to Washington, D.C., that China is “not behind” and praised Huawei as “incredible in computing and network technology.”
Anthropic is sticking to its position
“Anthropic stands by its recently filed public submission in support of strong and balanced export controls that help secure America’s lead in infrastructure development and ensure that the values of freedom and democracy shape the future of AI,” a spokesperson said in response to NVIDIA’s criticism.
As the US races to solidify its edge in the AI arms race, the disagreement between two of its powerful players shows just how high the stakes have become — not just for national security but also for billions in chip sales and global influence.