RISC-V Vs. ARM: How US-China Tech Tensions Could Redefine Chip Innovation

U.S. lawmakers are pushing President Joe Biden’s administration to limit American corporate engagement with open-source chip technology RISC-V, alleging that it aids Beijing’s semiconductor goals and could potentially compromise U.S. national security.

RISC-V, pronounced “risk five,” offers an open-source alternative to premium technologies such as those by UK-based Arm Holdings PLC – ADR ARM, which IPO'd last month.

RISC-V's applications span from smartphone chip design to advanced AI processors. For example, Alphabet Inc's GOOG GOOGL Google, which currently uses ARM CPU's in the Tensor G3 chip featured in the newest Google Pixel lineup. The tech giant said it plans to make its popular Android OS run on devices using RISC-V chips, Reuters reports.

Qualcomm Inc QCOM is also reportedly working on RISC-V chips with a group of European automotive companies.

The push against RISC-V comes amid concerns that China is leveraging the open-collaboration spirit of American firms to bolster its own semiconductor sector — an effort the U.S. is already trying to stifle.

Fears have arisen that it could potentially undercut the dominance of the U.S. in chip manufacturing and bolster China’s military advancements.

While RISC-V is steered by a Swiss-based nonprofit, its inception is rooted in the University of California, Berkeley’s labs. Like open standards including Ethernet and the internet, RISC-V is designed to accelerate innovation economically and efficiently, according to Reuters.

Read also: US-China Tech Race: Huawei’s 5G New Chip Presents Challenge To Apple’s Dominance

However, imposing regulations on American firms’ participation in the global collaborative model could strain U.S.-China open technical standard initiatives, something executives at U.S. based RISC-V companies do not want.

Regulations might impede China’s chase for chip autonomy and could also set back Western attempts to produce versatile, cost-effective chips.

RISC-V's tech rivalry is further illuminated by Arm Holdings. Last month, Arm’s CEO Rene Haas acknowledged RISC-V’s potential but underscored the challenge of constructing a software ecosystem analogous to Arm’s.

Haas told CNBC that RISC-V's significant development time and refinement required is already a boon for the company, and any new regulations imposed could put the open source tech even further in Arm's rearview mirror.

The escalating chip tech skirmish is another example of the deep-rooted U.S.-China tech rivalry. As both nations strive for chip technology dominance, the outcomes of legislative pushes against open collaboration platforms like RISC-V could reshape the global semiconductor landscape.

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