01.AI, a China-based artificial intelligence startup, has embarked on a shopping spree and procured enough AI GPUs from Nvidia to keep growing for 18 months, its founder Kai-Fu Lee told Bloomberg in a brief interview. This was a smart move, as the U.S. has just restricted exports of these GPUs to China.
"We have stockpiled a lot of Nvidia chips," said Lee.
"The jury is out on whether China in 1.5 years can make equivalent or nearly as good chips," said Lee.
"We will have two parallel universes," Lee said. "Americans will supply their products and technologies to the U.S. and other countries and Chinese companies will build for China and whoever else uses Chinese products. The reality is that they will not compete very much in the same marketplace."