RISC-V, an open-source technology that competes directly with proprietary technology from semiconductor and software design company Arm Holdings, can be used in everything from chips in smartphones to advanced processors that run artificial intelligence (AI) tasks.
US House lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to take action on RISC-V, a move that could upend cross-border technology collaboration.
They argue that Beijing is exploiting a culture of open collaboration with US tech companies to promote its own semiconductor industry, potentially eroding Washington's lead in chips.
Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Committee on China, told Reuters that the Commerce Department should “require any U.S. person or company to obtain an export license before collaborating on RISC-V with entities in China.”
Meanwhile, Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, affirmed that he will pursue legal action if the Bureau of Industry and Security (under the Department of Commerce) does not tighten supervision of export control regulations on the above-mentioned technology alliance.
In response, a Commerce Department representative said the agency “continuously reviews the technology landscape and risks to ensure the most robust controls are in place to ensure national security and protect core technologies.”
RISC-V technology was developed by laboratories at the University of California, Berkeley, before receiving funding from the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
This open source technology is currently overseen by a Swiss-based non-profit organization that coordinates the application and development activities of commercial companies.
"Tragedy" for businesses?
RISC-V is being touted by executives at China's Huawei Technologies as a pillar of the country's progress in developing its own chips.
Not only that, this technology has also received attention from American and Western technology companies. The giant Qualcomm said it is cooperating with several European car manufacturers on RISC-V chips. Meanwhile, Google announced that it will put the world's largest mobile operating system platform, Android, to run on this open-source technology chip.
The White House’s control of U.S. companies’ participation in the Swiss-based nonprofit could introduce new complications for cross-border collaboration on open technical standards. The move could also create a barrier to Beijing’s drive for self-sufficiency in semiconductor technology, but could also have a similar impact on U.S. and Western ambitions for cheap, flexible chips.
Jack Kang, vice president of business development at SiFive, a Santa Clara-based startup that uses RISC-V technology, said it would be “a huge tragedy” if the government restricted business collaboration in this area.
(According to Reuters)
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