Exclusive: Chips may be "only advantage we have" over China, Amodei says

What they're saying: "It is mortgaging our future as as a country to to sell these chips to China," Amodei said.

The big picture: The U.S. has advanced plans to let U.S. companies like Nvidia and AMD sell chips to China, albeit with a cut of revenue off the top for the government.

• The tension in the industry remains between U.S. security interests and the reality that China already has lots of American-designed chips, and will keep pursuing domestic options as well.

Amodei comes down squarely on the side of the security interests.

• Asked about reports that Chinese authorities had told companies not to buy Nvidia's latest chips, Amodei said "whatever the dangers of the technology, whatever guardrails are needed, I think it's also very important that we defeat China in this technology."
• "This could control the fate of nations. This could control the future of freedom and democracy."

The intrigue: Amodei's position puts him in tension with the Trump administration, potentially moreso than other AI CEOs who have by and large deferred to the government's position on issues like export controls.

• "I think it could be the single most disastrous national security decision made in this term," he said.

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Editor's note: This story was breaking and has been updated with additional quotes.