To address national security concerns, the US Department of Commerce has embarked on a thorough review of China’s involvement in open-source RISC-V chip technology. RISC-V, a burgeoning alternative to proprietary technologies like those from Arm Holdings, has garnered significant attention for its versatility, spanning applications from smartphone chips to cutting-edge AI processors.
Previous restrictions on transferring 5G technology to China have highlighted difficulties for US companies in global standards organizations, which could endanger US dominance in the sector. In this context, the Commerce Department’s examination of China’s role in RISC-V technology emphasizes the wider geopolitical consequences of technological rivalry.