Howard Lutnick, the nominee for U.S. Commerce Secretary, has made serious allegations against the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek during his Senate confirmation hearing. He accused the company of illegally acquiring U.S. technology and circumventing export controls to obtain high-end Nvidia chips. Lutnick stated, "They stole things, they broke in. They've taken our IP. It’s got to end".

Lutnick emphasised the need for rigorous enforcement of restrictions to maintain U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence, particularly against China.

He criticised DeepSeek for allegedly using data from Meta's open platform and acquiring Nvidia chips through third parties to develop its AI models at a fraction of the cost compared to U.S. firms. He noted that DeepSeek's ability to create its AI models "dirt cheap" is concerning, as it undermines U.S. technological advancements.

In light of these accusations, there are ongoing investigations by the White House and FBI into whether DeepSeek managed to bypass U.S. export controls using intermediaries in countries like Singapore. Lutnick's statements reflect broader concerns regarding national security and the competitive landscape of AI technology, as DeepSeek's rapid rise has already impacted stock prices of major tech companies like Nvidia.

ANI