The teardown was of Huawei's Ascend 910B, another source said. The 910B is viewed as the most advanced AI chip available from a Chinese company. The first source would not identify the item, but said the TSMC chip was one within a multi-chip system.

TechInsights informed TSMC of the chip before publishing its findings in a report, the person said, prompting the Taiwanese firm to notify the U.S. Commerce Department a couple of weeks ago.

The revelation could show how difficult enforcing export controls can be for both companies making highly desired products and regulators. At the same time, it also shows Huawei's sustained need for the most sophisticated chips.

It is unclear how the chip made its way to Huawei. In 2019, the company released its Ascend 910 chip series. At the time, prior to export controls, the chips were produced by TSMC, two sources told Reuters earlier this year.

The Information and the Financial Times have reported that the U.S. is looking into TSMC and Huawei.

By: Docmemory
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