Secrets, Chips and Spycraft: The Nvidia C.E.O. Scandal

Over the weekend, Jensen Huang, the chief executive and co-founder of Nvidia — which makes the chips that power artificial intelligence — admitted to having an affair with a woman who has been determined by U.S. officials to be a spy. That revelation came after The New York Times broke the story of how U.S. intelligence officers uncovered what they say was a plot by Alice Huang to use their relationship to funnel information to Beijing.

Tripp Mickle, a White House correspondent for The Times, explains how Beijing tried to compromise one of the tech executives closest to President Trump, and what the scandal could mean for a company with enormous influence over the future of A.I. — and the entire American economy.

Guest: Tripp Mickle, a White House correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Jensen Huang’s tight grip on Nvidia presents a challenge for the company’s board, which is investigating his affair with a woman believed to be a Chinese spy.
• Mr. Huang acknowledged having had an intimate relationship with a business executive who U.S. officials determined was working for Chinese intelligence.

Photo: Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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