Lawmakers Introduce Bill Banning Chinese AI Data Center Components

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation on September 25 to prohibit the federal government from using Chinese-made optical transceivers in sensitive AI data centers. The bill specifically targets components from Eoptolink and Zhongji Innolight, citing national security concerns that Beijing could use the devices to disrupt access to U.S. cloud and AI tools.

John Cornyn and other sponsors argue the move protects critical communication systems from foreign interference. If passed, the government would have five years to comply, and the Secretaries of Commerce and Defense would be authorized to add other companies to the restricted list.

Industry groups, including the Information Technology Industry Council, warn that the restriction could slow the deployment of U.S. AI infrastructure. They claim domestic firms such as Coherent and Lumentum currently lack the scale necessary to replace Chinese vendors.