OpenAI Accuses DeepSeek of Potential Manipulation and Calls for a Ban

OpenAI has accused the Chinese AI lab DeepSeek of potentially manipulating its models under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to cause harm. The company has urged for a ban on Chinese-developed AI models and tools, claiming they violate user privacy and pose security threats like IP theft in Tier-1 countries, such as the US, UK, and Canada.

OpenAI warned that due to potential interference from the Chinese government, DeepSeek models pose a significant risk in critical infrastructure and other high-risk applications. The company compared this threat to Huawei, the Chinese tech giant facing heavy sanctions in the US and much of Western Europe.

DeepSeek gained global attention earlier this year due to its impressive performance and low cost, with some experts calling it China's "Sputnik moment" in the US-China tech race. It quickly became one of the most downloaded AI apps in the US.

These allegations come in response to the AI Action Plan, a new US government initiative aimed at maintaining American dominance in artificial intelligence. OpenAI, along with other AI firms, was invited to provide recommendations.

OpenAI proposed several measures to strengthen US dominance, including:

Allowing government agencies to easily access "frontier AI" services.
Applying "fair use" laws to AI training data.

In a statement, Chris Lehane, OpenAI's VP of Global Affairs, warned,

"While the US currently leads in AI, DeepSeek's rise shows that our lead is narrowing."

US Lawmakers Push for DeepSeek Ban

Despite OpenAI's warnings, some US officials are already pushing for stricter action against DeepSeek. Last month, US lawmakers introduced a bill to ban DeepSeek on all government devices, with Republican Congressman Josh Gottheimer calling the AI model a "national security five-alarm fire."

States like Texas and New York have already imposed bans on DeepSeek for government use.

Global Concerns Over DeepSeek

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration is considering a complete ban on DeepSeek in the US, though discussions are still in the early stages.

Countries like South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia have already banned or restricted DeepSeek on government devices due to security concerns.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg revealed that DeepSeek's founder, Liang Wenfeng, held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during an AI summit, raising further concerns about the company's ties to the Chinese government.