ByteDance reportedly finds workaround to access Nvidia’s latest AI chips

Bytedance

• ByteDance to use Nvidia B200 AI chips through Malaysia cloud
• Aolani Cloud to build $2.5B system for ByteDance outside China
• Arrangement complies with US export rules, Nvidia confirms

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TikTok’s parent company ByteDance has reportedly found a way to access Nvidias latest AI processors despite US export restrictions that limit the sale of advanced chips to China. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the company is working with Singapore-based Aolani Cloud to build large-scale computing systems in Malaysia powered by Nvidia's Blackwell architecture.

The setup could give ByteDance access to around 36,000 B200 chips, currently among Nvidias most powerful processors for artificial intelligence workloads. The infrastructure buildout is expected to cost more than $2.5 billion.

ByteDance reportedly plans to use the new computing capacity to support AI research and development carried out outside China.

Because the B200 chips are designed in the United States, they fall under US export control rules that restrict their sale to certain countries, including China. To work around those limits, companies have begun building cloud infrastructure in other regions. In this case, Aolani Cloud would purchase the Nvidia components and operate the computing systems in Malaysia, effectively allowing ByteDance to access the hardware remotely.

An Nvidia spokesperson said the arrangement aligns with existing export rules. “By design, the export rules allow clouds to be built and operated outside controlled countries,” the spokesperson said, adding that all cloud partners undergo review before being approved to receive the company’s products.

A representative for Aolani Cloud told Reuters that the firm complies with all relevant export control regulations. The company also said ByteDance would be just one of several clients using its cloud infrastructure. Aolani currently operates with roughly $100 million worth of hardware, but ByteDance is reportedly planning to invest more than $2.5 billion into the new systems.

The US government has recently allowed ByteDance to purchase Nvidia’s H200 chips, though those shipments face additional conditions. The processors are subject to a 25 percent tariff, and export licenses would only be granted if Nvidia agrees to implement Know-Your-Customer checks aimed at preventing China’s military from accessing the technology. Nvidia has not yet agreed to those terms.