Amid Nvidia’s suspected Chinese spy scandal, what is a ‘honey trap?’

Detailed summary

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) said 'cultivation' — which includes romantic entanglements — is an effective tool deployed by intelligence services.

The allegations that the CEO of one of the world’s most powerful tech companies became entangled with a suspected Chinese spy rocked the tech world this week, but was unlikely to shock many in the world of intelligence gathering.

That’s because “honey trap” operations — where a spy works their way into a romantic relationship with their target to obtain information — is among the oldest bits of tradecraft in intelligence gathering.

“Sex is one of the oldest intelligence weapons. Technology has changed espionage, but human vulnerabilities haven’t,” said Toby Braun, CEO of the American Special Investigative Group, said in an interview with Global News.

“Sex, money, ego, power truly remain one of the most effective tools to compromise individuals.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stepped down Thursday amid reports he had multiple extra-marital affairs, including with one woman the U.S. intelligence community believes was acting on behalf of China.

China’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. of trumping up allegations of spying, but the damage to Huang’s leadership was already done by the time allegations of an affair with another woman, this time his subordinate at Nvidia, surfaced.

The chipmaking company was on course to lose roughly $500 billion in market value after tumbling more than 12 per cent in early trading Thursday, making the alleged affairs among the most costly in history.

It also robbed AI boosters of one of their most vocal and powerful champions. The 63-year old Huang, who co-founded Nvidia, has turned the chipmaker into one of the most important pieces of the AI boom.

Reuters reported that Huang’s exit has plunged the approximately $4 trillion company into uncertainty, and could disrupt the AI ecosystem that he helped foster by investing Nvidia’s profits back into the industry.

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