US-based Nvidia, the world leader in semiconductor development, has hired 200 people in China to grow its research capabilities into autonomous AI-driven cars.
According to the Bloomberg report, which cited people familiar with the situation, Nvidia has hired around 600 people in Beijing and launched a new office in the Zhongguancun district in the past few years. Zhongguancun is a major technology hub in the northwest of Beijing.
The company is under investigation in China over suspected violations of the country’s following its acquisition of Mellanox Technologies. The probe is seen as the latest development in US-China tensions over semiconductor development.
The US has taken steps to restrict China’s ability to develop semiconductor technology through imposing export restrictions and sales bans. In response, China also imposed export bans on materials that could be used for technological and military development.
Still, China is a major market for the American chipmaker. The bigger workforce could enable it to deepen its research into autonomous AI-driven cars with local automakers.
As of the publishing of company documents in February, Nvidia had almost 30,000 employees in 36 countries. Recently, the company opened a new research and , marking a commitment to advance AI in the country.
