According to a report from foreign media on August 15th， it has been revealed that the United States is secretly embedding tracking devices within artificial intelligence (AI) related chips. The primary objective behind this initiative is to monitor and identify instances where these chips are being transported to China.
Sources within the intelligent server supply chain have indicated that these trackers are being utilized in server shipments from major companies such as Dell and Super Micro. These servers are equipped with high-performance chips manufactured by NVIDIA and AMD. The tracking devices are typically concealed within the product packaging of the servers.
These sources further elaborated that this practice began in 2024. In one instance， a shipment of Dell servers containing NVIDIA chips not only had a large tracking device on the exterior of the shipping container but also featured smaller， more discreet tracking mechanisms hidden within the packaging and even inside the server itself. The larger trackers were described as being comparable in size to a smartphone.
It is understood that the installation of such tracking devices may only require approval from a U.S. administrative department. Notably， companies like Dell and Super Micro， which sell servers incorporating NVIDIA chips， may be aware of these tracking devices but have not yet responded to media inquiries on the matter.
However， sources also suggest that the U.S. government might not yet be embedding trackers into individual chips. This is due to the increased technical complexity involved in chip-level monitoring， which would necessitate embedded software to turn each chip into a “beason” capable of transmitting signals. Such an undertaking represents a significantly more intricate technological challenge.
Such actions raise serious concerns about potential national security implications. The revelation comes at a time when China’s Cyberspace Administration has reportedly summoned NVIDIA to discuss potential backdoors and security risks associated with its AI computing chips after vulnerabilities were discovered. This highlights growing international scrutiny and apprehension regarding the security of advanced technology supply chains.
