OpenAI Goes Quiet on China Chip Export Controls, Pulling the Rug on Lame-Duck Restrictions

Capitol Hill aides and lobbyists tell Politico OpenAI has quietly abandoned its push for strict US chip export controls on China, erasing a key China-hawk ally for lame-duck restrictions planned to ride the defense bill. The reversal follows Nvidia's $30B equity stake in OpenAI and its $105B commitment to anchor an Ohio data center; Anthropic has taken the opposite stance, backing restrictions and leaving a trade group over the issue.