Nvidia has started to build new tools that give data centre operators a better view of where their chips are running. The company confirmed this after Reuters reported that it had been working on location checks that can show which country a chip is operating in. Nvidia has talked about the tool in private but has not released it yet. It said the tool will sit on top of the confidential computing features already inside its graphics processors.
Reuters reported that Nvidia designed the tool after pressure from the White House and members of Congress who want stronger action against smuggling rings. United States prosecutors have brought cases involving China-linked groups accused of trying to move more than $160 million worth of Nvidia chips into China. The company’s update comes as these cases continue to gather pace.
Nvidia said that the tool will run as a customer-installed option. It will check the time delay between a chip and Nvidia’s own servers, which gives a clue about a chip’s location. The company compared the accuracy to what other internet-based services already offer. Nvidia also said there is no way for the company to control or interfere with any machine running the software.
What Has Nvidia Built To Track Its Chips?
Nvidia published a blog post explaining that it is putting together a new service for customers who operate large GPU fleets. It said the service will help data centres watch the health and the inventory of all their AI chips from a single dashboard. The company said this agent will look at telemetry from each GPU and feed it into a system customers can use to keep an eye on everything from uptime to errors.
The service will let data centres follow power spikes, memory use, interconnect health and possible hotspots. It will also give an early sign of airflow issues and help spot ageing parts sooner. Nvidia said these checks will help customers keep their systems running at their best and avoid wasted energy or unexpected downtime.
Nvidia said that the agent will be open source. It said this is part of its work to make its software transparent so customers can audit what the tool collects. The agent will be installed by the customer and will send read-only data to a portal hosted on Nvidia NGC.
More from News
- Canva Reveals 2026 Design Predictions, Here’s What They Think
- INE Highlights Enterprise Shift Toward Hands-On Training Amid Widening Skills Gaps
- Is SpaceX About To Go Public, And What Does This Mean?
- Global South Video News Awards Ignite A New Era At BRIDGE Summit In Abu Dhabi
- Free Users Can Now Use Adobe Apps On ChatGPT
- Ofcom Reveals How UK Users Spent Their Time Online In 2025
- Docusign Invests €4.5 Million Into Ireland’s AI Expansion And Innovation
- UK Workers Are Training For Tech Jobs As Online Course Searches Grow
Does Nvidia Have Any Remote Control Over These Chips?
Nvidia said very clearly that it has no way to reach into its chips and change anything. It said its servers cannot push any new data back to the GPU and cannot switch anything off. The company said there is “no kill switch” and added that no remote actor can disable its chips.
The service will sit entirely on customer systems. It will send GPU telemetry to Nvidia NGC only for viewing and reporting. Nvidia said this setup lets customers see everything from single zones to their global fleets, but the information remains under their control.
The company said the new tools will first appear on its Blackwell chips. These chips have newer security features for attestation compared with the earlier Hopper and Ampere lines. Nvidia is also looking at possible options for those older generations, according to an Nvidia official quoted by Reuters.
Why Does This Matter For Smuggling?
The United States government has said it wants stronger checks on high-end AI chips that can be used in restricted countries such as China. Nvidia’s verification service gives customers a way to show that their chips are running in approved locations. The timing checks between customer machines and Nvidia servers make it harder for smuggled chips to hide inside grey-market data centres.
Reuters reported that lawmakers from both main US parties want tighter safeguards as the Department of Justice continues to uncover more smuggling rings. Location confirmation could help answer those demands without giving Nvidia control over its customers’ hardware.
Nvidia said the service is there to help data centres keep their fleets healthy, but the location checks may give governments more assurance as they watch the flow of powerful AI hardware across borders.
