OpenAI labels DeepSeek as 'China-controlled,' urges ban on such models
What's the story
OpenAI has called out Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek as "state-subsidized" and "state-controlled," in a new policy proposal. The organization is calling on the US government to consider banning models from DeepSeek and other People's Republic of China (PRC)-backed operations. The proposal, submitted for Trump Administration's "AI Action Plan" initiative, raises concerns over user data security under Chinese law.
Risk assessment
DeepSeek's models seen as security threat
OpenAI's proposal notably emphasizes DeepSeek's R1 "reasoning" model, calling it insecure as it is required to comply with user data requests under Chinese law. The company contends that banning all "PRC-produced" models in "Tier 1" countries under the Biden Administration's export rules could reduce privacy and security risks, including intellectual property theft.
Prior allegations
OpenAI's previous accusations against DeepSeek
Previously, OpenAI had accused DeepSeek of "distilling" knowledge from its models, violating the terms of service. The latest allegations mark an escalation in OpenAI's campaign against the Chinese AI lab. However, there is no clear evidence linking DeepSeek to the Chinese government, despite increasing interest from PRC in recent months.
Data concerns
DeepSeek's open models and their security
It remains unclear if OpenAI's references to "models" are limited to DeepSeek's API or also include the lab's open models. These open models, hosted on Microsoft, Amazon, and Perplexity infrastructure, do not have mechanisms that would allow the Chinese government to access user data. This raises questions about the security of these models in relation to OpenAI's concerns.
Information
Permit AI training on copyrighted content
Separately, OpenAI has urged the Trump administration to ease regulations, advocating policies that permit AI companies to use copyrighted content for training. The goal is to boost AI development and enhance competition against China in the rapidly evolving AI race.