- Moonshot AI reportedly used Nvidia Blackwell chips to train its Kimi K3 model, bypassing U.S. export and Chinese import controls.
- The company circumvented restrictions by utilizing two Chinese firms with Blackwell chips in their datacenters and linking multiple servers across facilities.
- A researcher noted that Kimi K3 has sparked a new AI arms race in China, as homegrown chips lag behind Nvidia's offerings.
- For inference, Moonshot relies on Nvidia's HGX H20 chips, but faces capacity shortages and has a waiting list for Kimi K3 subscriptions.
- The White House claims Moonshot accessed advanced GB300 servers, exploiting a rental loophole that may be closed by the proposed Remote Access Security Act.
- The U.S. Department of Commerce is investigating Chinese firms' access to advanced chips amid ongoing tensions in the AI supremacy race.