The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has advanced the AI Overwatch Act, a bipartisan proposal that would require both that panel and the Senate Banking Committee to approve any export licenses for Nvidia’s H200 AI chips within 30 days. Introduced by Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and co-sponsored by Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), the bill seeks to revoke existing Commerce Department authorizations for advanced-chip shipments to China and impose a temporary ban until a formal national security strategy on AI exports is delivered. Mast warned that "millions of advanced AI chips" could otherwise be sold to Chinese military-linked firms. If enacted, this legislation would grant Congress a joint-resolution veto over future exports, marking the first time lawmakers would have direct oversight of specific chip shipments since export controls on high-performance GPUs were tightened in 2023.

According to statements from CEO Jensen Huang, Nvidia has overtaken Apple as TSMC’s largest customer by volume, driven by record orders for its next-generation AI GPUs. In the December quarter, Nvidia’s wafer bookings at TSMC reportedly accounted for more than 20% of the foundry’s overall capacity, up from under 5% two years ago. Apple, which previously enjoyed front-of-the-line access to leading-edge nodes and a waiver on defective dies, is now facing capacity constraints and price increases estimated at over 15% on new 3nm and 2nm processes. Industry analysts project that Apple may place up to 20 million lower-end M-series chip orders with Intel beginning in 2027 as it competes for capacity alongside Nvidia and other hyperscale customers.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang characterized the current AI infrastructure expansion as "the largest infrastructure build-out in human history," forecasting a surge in skilled-trade employment. He cited data showing salaries for factory electricians, network technicians and construction workers supporting chip fabs have nearly doubled over the past two years, with many roles now commanding six-figure annual compensation. Huang emphasized that for every billion-dollar facility Nvidia erects, more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs are created in construction, utilities and precision manufacturing, underscoring AI’s transformative impact on the labor market beyond traditional software and research positions.