US Accuses Chinese AI Firm DeepSeek of Aiding Beijing’s Military
The U.S. has accused Chinese AI firm DeepSeek of supporting Beijing’s military and attempting to bypass export restrictions to acquire advanced semiconductor technology. This allegation escalates scrutiny of Chinese tech firms amid ongoing trade tensions. It alleges DeepSeek’s collaboration with China’s military and its sharing of user data with surveillance systems, raising privacy concerns for users around the world.
The United States has leveled serious accusations against DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, claiming it assists Beijing’s military and intelligence operations. A senior U.S. official, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that DeepSeek is reportedly trying to bypass export laws to obtain advanced semiconductor technology from America. This marks a notable intensification in the surveillance of Chinese AI enterprises amidst the ongoing tech rivalry and trade frictions between the nations.
Despite DeepSeek’s bold claims this year that its AI models can rival those produced by titans like OpenAI and Meta without breaking the bank—reportedly spending about $5.58 million on computing power—many in the tech community are skeptical of the authenticity of these figures. It raises questions about their real financial outlay, suggesting that the true costs are likely far more substantial.
Adding to the growing concerns, the U.S. alleges that DeepSeek is sharing user data with Chinese surveillance systems. As it’s known, Chinese law requires companies to comply with government data demands, which if substantiated, will seriously alarm the vast number of global users engaging with DeepSeek daily. Lawmakers have previously issued warnings about possible transmissions of American user data via infrastructure understood to be connected to China Mobile, a state-run telecom giant. DeepSeek has yet to clarify its stance on these accusations regarding data privacy.
Furthermore, DeepSeek is reportedly mentioned over 150 times in records related to procurement for China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The official mentioned that the company is believed to have provided tech for PLA research units, though independent sources can’t confirm these allegations. This paints a rather worrisome picture for U.S. officials as they ramp up scrutiny of DeepSeek.
An important point of contention lies with the acquisition of Nvidia’s high-end H100 chips. Even though U.S. restrictions on exporting these chips to China were established in 2022, claims have surfaced that DeepSeek managed to secure a significant amount of them. It’s alleged that the company used front companies in Southeast Asia to bypass these controls and is exploring the use of regional data centers to operate its hardware remotely.
Nvidia has taken a firm stance against any violations of export controls and stated, “We are effectively excluded from the China data center market, now served mainly by domestic players such as Huawei.” In a twist, Nvidia’s own findings suggest that DeepSeek utilized H800 processors—a less powerful and compliant variant—rather than the restricted H100s.
Legal issues are also surfacing as Singaporean authorities charged three individuals in a case involving the unauthorized transfer of Nvidia chips to DeepSeek. Meanwhile, Malaysian officials are investigating if a certain Chinese company is operating Nvidia-equipped servers within their jurisdiction to train language models, potentially breaching local laws. This backdrop of scrutiny raises serious implications for DeepSeek’s operational future.
Despite these significant concerns, DeepSeek has not yet found itself on any U.S. trade blacklist. There’s currently no public proof that Nvidia knowingly aided DeepSeek with military endeavors. Under U.S. regulations, firms are prohibited from exporting advanced chips to Chinese entities connected to military pursuits or that are blacklisted. The increasing revelations surrounding DeepSeek highlight the urgency for Washington to enhance monitoring of tech firms in China, especially those with military affiliations.
As the U.S. tightens its gaze on DeepSeek amid serious allegations, the unfolding situation underlines broader worries about Chinese tech firms’ involvement in military operations and potential violations of export rules. With mounting evidence and serious implications, it could push Washington to intensify its scrutiny and policies toward China’s tech landscape. The evolving narrative continues to raise red flags about data privacy and military ties, making it an ongoing story to watch closely.
Original Source: www.livemint.com
