Taiwanese prosecutors have indicted nine individuals, including staff from Nvidia and Super Micro Computer, for their suspected roles in the unlawful exportation of artificial intelligence servers to China.
According to a statement issued on Monday by officials in Keelung, eight of the accused—one from Nvidia’s Taiwan unit and two from Supermicro’s Taiwan branch—face charges of breach of trust and document forgery related to the illicit shipment of advanced AI servers. Prosecutors detailed that 50 of these servers were transshipped through Indonesia, eight were sent via Japan, while the remainder went directly to China. Additionally, a separate shipment of 56 servers was intercepted at Taiwan's border.
Among the accused, three face charges of embezzlement. As the leading global producer of sophisticated chips utilized in AI, Taiwan plays a critical role in the semiconductor landscape.
The United States has imposed restrictions on the export of advanced silicon chips, notably those designed by Nvidia, to China, amid concerns regarding their application in artificial intelligence technologies. However, Taiwanese law does not currently classify these actions as criminal, prompting calls from lawmakers and experts to amend existing regulations, as authorities must rely on alternative laws to prosecute offenders.
In response, Nvidia emphasized that its employees are motivated to ensure compliance with relevant laws while affirming their commitment to assist Taiwanese authorities in resolving the allegations swiftly. Meanwhile, Supermicro noted that their cooperation with local authorities was instrumental in leading to the arrests of the indicted individuals, including two former employees of their Taiwanese subsidiary. The company asserts that it is not the target of this investigation and has not been implicated in any misconduct.
Prosecutors have indicated they are seeking prison sentences of up to five years for seven defendants, whom they allege acted with the intent of pursuing substantial profits through collusion in the illegal export of servers. They argued that such actions not only elevate corporate compliance costs but also significantly tarnish Taiwan’s international reputation. For the remaining two defendants who have admitted guilt and cooperated with the investigation, prosecutors are advocating for more lenient sentences.
In recent years, Taiwan has implemented stricter export controls aimed at preventing advanced technology from reaching China, which maintains a claim over the island, despite opposition from Taiwan’s government.
