美国司法部周四称，当局逮捕了一名加州男子，指控其走私价值超过3亿美元的装有人工智能芯片的服务器到中国。
US authorities have arrested a California man accused of smuggling more than $300mn of computer servers packed with AI chips to China, the Justice Department said on Thursday.
检方称，现年38岁、来自圣盖博的格雷格·吕（又名Yiu Kong Lui）于周三被捕。路透社也援引《卫报》的报道对此案进行了披露。
Greg Lui, 38, of San Gabriel, also known as Yiu Kong Lui, was arrested on Wednesday, prosecutors said. Reuters also reported the case, in a story carried by The Guardian.
检方指出，吕利用自己创办的Earthmade Computer公司，在未取得美国商务部要求的出口许可证的情况下运送这些服务器。该非法行为据称发生于2023年至2024年期间。
Prosecutors say he used his company, Earthmade Computer, to ship the servers without the export licences the US Commerce Department requires. The alleged scheme ran from 2023 to 2024.
这些服务器据称先被运往无需出口许可的马来西亚和新加坡，随后才被发往中国。吕涉嫌使用虚假文件来掩盖货物的真实目的地。这些服务器内装有用于开发人工智能的美国产图形处理器。美国司法部使用了“超级智能”这一术语来指代人工智能，这也是特朗普政府赋予该技术的新称谓。
Through Malaysia and Singapore The servers allegedly went first to Malaysia and Singapore, where no licence is needed, before being sent on to China. Prosecutors say Lui used false paperwork to hide their true destination. They contained US-made graphics processors used to build AI. The Justice Department used the term super intelligence, the Trump administration’s new name for AI.
加利福尼亚州中区联邦检察官比尔·埃斯雷利表示：“我们将严厉打击那些为了牟利而危害国家安全的犯罪分子。”
“We will aggressively prosecute those who put our national security at risk for profit,” said Bill Essayli, the US attorney for the Central District of California.
吕面临包括走私及洗钱共谋在内的三项指控。一旦定罪，他可能面临最高50年的监禁。需要强调的是，起诉书仅代表指控，在法庭判定有罪前他仍被视为无罪。
Lui faces three charges, including smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, he could face up to 50 years in prison. An indictment is only an allegation, and he is presumed innocent.
事实上，美国长期以来一直禁止中国购买英伟达等厂商生产的顶级人工智能芯片。此次案件中，司法部并未透露芯片的具体生产商。目前，芯片走私已成为芯片制造商及各国政府高度关注的问题。此前，台湾方面也曾以向中国出口芯片为由起诉了一名英伟达的经理。
A wider crackdown The US has long blocked China from buying top-end AI chips, such as those made by Nvidia. The Justice Department did not name the maker of the chips in this case. Smuggling has become a major worry for chipmakers and governments. Taiwan has indicted an Nvidia manager over chips shipped to China.