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This week, I penned an op-ed in the Washington Reporter discussing the importance of protecting our nation's artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure to secure American AI superiority for generations to come.
Optical transceivers are small gateway devices that directly interface with core systems in data centers and cloud infrastructure. Virtually all information that passes through a switch and router in an AI data center flows through one or more transceivers, meaning that transceivers have access to all information that supports artificial intelligence, cloud services, and advanced analytics. Transceivers' access to this data, sensitive or otherwise, makes them an attractive target for our foreign adversaries.
In the op-ed, I discuss the directive report language I worked with my friend and colleague, Congressman Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13), to secure in the Fiscal Year 2026 House National Defense Authorization Act that requires the Department of War to brief the House Armed Services Committee, by March 2026, on the national security threat posed by foreign-made transceivers.
I also highlight Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI), the country's largest optical transceiver manufacturer that's located right here in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. AOI recently announced plans to expand its footprint in Sugar Land, Texas, by expanding its manufacturing line and building a new facility. This massive investment won't just allow for more domestically produced optimal transceivers, but could create 500 new jobs.
So while the immense national security risk of compromised transceivers looms large over our efforts to win the global AI race, it also presents a pivotal moment for us to protect our infrastructure, decrease our reliance on foreign technology, and bring manufacturing back to U.S. soil.
By securing our AI infrastructure, we can secure American AI superiority for generations to come.
Read my op-ed HERE in the Washington Reporter or HERE on my website.
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