Hangzhou-based Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is at the center of serious accusations from the United States. According to a senior U.S. State Department official, DeepSeek is allegedly providing active support to espionage programs China's military and .
The US says it is not simply about access to open source tools and AI models. On the contrary, there appears to be close and targeted cooperation with Chinese state structures, at both the technological and operational levels.
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The revelation came in an interview with Reuters, with the same official noting that the company also tried to circumvent export restrictions US through a network of front companies in Southeast Asia. DeepSeek had access to “large quantities” of H100 chips from US company Nvidia. Since 2022, these chips have been subject to export restrictions due to Washington’s concerns that China could use them to advance its military capabilities or get ahead in the artificial intelligence race.
DeepSeek became known earlier this year when it claimed that AI reasoning models are equal to or superior to American ones, while operating at significantly lower costs.
See also: Microsoft: Employees are not allowed to use DeepSeek
Since the Deepseek app was released, both the US and other countries have raised concerns about user privacy. It is reported that user data may be transferred back to China through infrastructure interconnected with state-owned telecommunications giant China Mobile, heightening concerns about the control and use of personal information.
These developments heighten the tension in the already fragile technological competition between the US and China, especially in the crucial area of artificial intelligence.
If the new charges leveled by the US are true, then we are not just talking about a startup violating trade rules, but about a structured technology strategy by China aimed at circumventing restrictions and strengthening its military and espionage capabilities. This raises serious questions about data security and how AI is being used for state purposes.
See also: DeepSeek updates its mathematical AI model Prover
At the same time, DeepSeek shows that Chinese companies are no longer technologically behind the leading American companies, at least in selected fields, such as reasoning models. If this is accompanied by access to sophisticated chips, even despite sanctions, then the power game changes radically.
Source: Reuters
