Servers linked to a fraud case in Singapore were supplied by U.S. firms and may have contained Nvidia’s advanced AI chips, Singapore’s Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam confirmed on Monday.
Three men, including a Chinese national, were charged with fraud last week in Singapore, with domestic media linking the case to the transfer of Nvidia’s AI chips to Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek. Shanmugam stated that the servers were provided by Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer to Singapore-based firms before being sent to Malaysia, though the final destination remains uncertain. The case emerged following an anonymous tip-off, prompting an independent investigation by Singaporean authorities.
Singapore has contacted U.S. officials to determine if the servers contained U.S. export-controlled components and expressed willingness to collaborate in any joint probe. The U.S. is also investigating whether DeepSeek has been utilizing restricted American AI chips. Reports indicate that Chinese universities and research institutions have obtained Nvidia’s advanced AI chips embedded in servers from Dell, Super Micro, and Taiwan’s Gigabyte Technology.
The case is part of a broader investigation into 22 individuals and companies suspected of fraudulent AI chip transactions, raising concerns over organized smuggling networks targeting China. Singapore is Nvidia’s second-largest market after the U.S., contributing 18% of its revenue in the latest fiscal year. However, actual shipments to Singapore accounted for less than 2% of total revenue, as the country serves as a hub for invoicing global sales.
Some Western AI figures, such as Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, have alleged that DeepSeek possesses up to 50,000 high-end Nvidia chips banned for export to China. However, no evidence has been presented to support these claims.
Source: Swifteradio.com
