Technology: US raises security concerns over deepSeek as AI rivalry escalates

The rapid rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI model reportedly matching ChatGPT’s capabilities at a fraction of the cost, has sparked concerns within the US tech industry and government.

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has accused competitors—particularly those in China—of leveraging its research through knowledge distillation, a technique that extracts insights from existing AI models.

US officials are now assessing national security risks linked to DeepSeek. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the National Security Council is investigating potential implications, following concerns raised by President Donald Trump, who warned that DeepSeek’s emergence should serve as a wake-up call for US tech firms.

Adding to the scrutiny, the US Navy has reportedly banned its personnel from using DeepSeek apps, citing security and ethical risks tied to the model’s origins.

According to CNBC, internal emails warned service members about possible data vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, experts like Naomi Haefner question whether DeepSeek’s claims of low-cost training are legitimate, suggesting it may have misappropriated OpenAI data. While AI advancements often build on prior research, the ethical and legal boundaries remain contentious—especially as global competition intensifies in the race for AI dominance.