Taiwan Prosecutors Indict 9 in AI Server Export Scheme

Taiwanese prosecutors announced on Monday the indictment of nine people, including employees from Nvidia and Super Micro, in connection with the illegal export of artificial intelligence servers to China. This action stems from an investigation into suspected violations of U.S. export controls, which have been in place since 2022 to limit China's access to advanced semiconductors used in AI.

Eight of the indicted individuals, comprising one employee from Nvidia's Taiwan unit and two from Super Micro's Taiwan unit, face charges including breach of trust and document forgery. The alleged scheme involved falsifying end-user documents to make it appear that 130 high-end AI servers ordered from Super Micro would be used locally in Taiwan.

Prosecutors reported that 74 of these servers were ultimately exported to Chinese customers through various routes, including direct shipments and transshipments via intermediate countries like Indonesia, Japan, and Hong Kong. The remaining 56 servers, intended for export to a Japanese company, were intercepted by Taiwan customs due to detected irregularities. The defendants are described as having been fully aware of export controls and the rigorous internal procedures of both Nvidia and Super Micro, yet they allegedly colluded for substantial financial gain.