🤖 The Multi-Billion Dollar Black Market for AI Chips

🦞The Multi-Billion Dollar Black Market for AI Chips

🔬Mapping Tumor Behavior Without Breaking the Bank

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GPUs are specialized computer chips capable of parallel processing: performing mathematical calculations simultaneously. In simpler terms, GPUs are like ultra-fast math engines that power advanced AI models.

Designing GPUs is an extremely complex process that requires rare materials, specialized machinery, and engineering expertise. China doesn’t currently possess any of these at the level needed to produce the most cutting-edge GPUs.

Rumors circulating throughout Silicon Valley suggest that China recently established sophisticated smuggling operations to acquire hundreds of millions of dollars worth of U.S.-made advanced AI chips by packaging them alongside “live lobsters” and concealing them within “prosthetic baby bumps.”

A NVIDIA spokesperson initially commented that Silicon Valley “should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales.” They also added, “America can’t manipulate regulation to capture victory in AI.” Of course, NVIDIA’s economically incentivized to enter China’s $50 billion AI Hardware Market.

Many believe maintaining America’s compute advantage through export controls on U.S.-made advanced AI chips is essential to national security. “AI enables China to potentially leapfrog the military dominance of Western powers,” explained former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang.

A tumor isn’t just a mass of cancer cells. It exists within a complex network of many different cells: nerve cells, immune cells, and supporting cells. Mapping the positions and interactions of these many different cells can help predict how a tumor will respond to immunotherapy.

To achieve this, oncologists use a technique called multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF), which enables them to effectively create a blueprint of these many different cells and monitor their activity within a tumor. But mIF is slow, inefficient, and expensive.

After being trained on 40 million cell samples across 21 protein channels, “GigaTIME” was applied to 14,256 cancer patients from more than 1,000 medical centers. It generated around 300,000 mIF blueprints spanning 24 cancer types and 306 cancer subtypes.

This technical breakthrough fundamentally alters the cost structure and time constraints of tumor profiling by replacing wet lab chemistry, which involves liquids, chemicals, and biological samples.

While mIF can easily take days and cost thousands of dollars, “GigaTIME” generates the same information virtually by simply analyzing standard cancer tissue slides.

Gradial raised a $35M Series B to automate enterprise marketing.

Quantum Art closed a $100M Series A to build multi-qubit gates.

Fal landed a $140M Series D for the world’s best generative media.

Docusign (Seattle, WA): Solution Consultant Intern, Summer 2026

NVIDIA (Austin, TX): ASIC Hardware Design Engineer, Entry-Level

OpenAI (San Francisco, CA): Data Systems Analyst, Mid-Level

Waymo (Mountain View, CA): Digital Media Lead, Senior-Level