On Monday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) escalated pressure on Jensen Huang after a report said Nvidia Corp’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) civilian AI computers were found inside Russian drones allegedly being tested for autonomous targeting.
Warren Calls On Nvidia CEO to Testify Over Russian Drone Technology
Warren took to X to criticize Huang, arguing that he should make time to answer questions from Congress about Nvidia technology reportedly being used in Russia’s war effort.
"If Jensen Huang has time to attend a $1 million-a-head dinner at Mar-a-Lago and fly across the world to meet with President Xi Jinping, he can find time to testify in front of Congress about reports that NVIDIA technology is powering Russia’s war machine," Warren said.
Her comments followed a New York Times report that Ukrainian investigators found Nvidia Jetson Orin computers in the wreckage of Russian drones used in attacks around Zaporizhzhia.
Nvidia Jetson Computers Found In Russian Attack Drones
According to the report, the Jetson Orin is a compact, consumer-grade computer designed for civilian applications including robotics, machine vision and autonomous systems.
Ukrainian officials said the computers found in Russian drones may have enabled the weapons to identify targets without a human operator making the final strike decision.
One drone equipped with the system reportedly killed three people in Zaporizhzhia on July 6, according to Ukrainian air defense officials.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency has also said an Nvidia Jetson computer was found on a Russian S-71M Monochrome missile being tested in attacks against Ukraine.
Nvidia Says Jetson Wasn’t Sold to Russia
In an emailed statement to Benzinga, Nvidia said the Jetson systems found in the drones were "consumer-grade products sold to students, developers and start-ups for a wide range of beneficial applications."
The company said the Jetson line was not sold in Russia and was not designed for military applications. However, the company acknowledged that the computers are available through resale markets and said it cannot track secondary sales.
“Although we cannot track products after they are sold, if we determine that any customer is violating U.S. export controls, we will take appropriate action,” the spokesperson stated.
Warren Steps Up Nvidia Export Control Scrutiny
In June, Warren invited Huang to testify before the Senate Banking Committee about Nvidia’s China operations and U.S. export controls.
Huang declined, saying he was "unable to attend," while inviting Warren and other committee members to visit Nvidia’s headquarters in California.
Price Action: Nvidia closed at $208.48 on Monday, down 2.91%, while the stock rose 0.20% to $208.90 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Nvidia ranks in the 99th percentile for growth, while maintaining positive short-, medium- and long-term price trend ratings.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: David Garcia on Shutterstock.com
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