Key Points:
- A Trump official claims DeepSeek used restricted Nvidia Blackwell chips.
- The U.S. strictly bans exporting these advanced AI processors to China.
- DeepSeek allegedly tried to hide the technical evidence of the chips.
- The startup likely copied data from major American AI models.
A senior official in the Trump administration claims that the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek trained its newest software using banned American technology. The official stated on Monday that the company relied on Nvidia’s highly advanced Blackwell processor to build a new AI model, which it plans to release next week.
This action points to a major violation of United States export controls. Current government policy strictly forbids tech companies from shipping Blackwell chips to China. The official noted that DeepSeek actively planned to remove technical markers that would prove they used the restricted American hardware. The official did not explain how the U.S. government uncovered this information.
The Chinese embassy in Washington quickly responded to the accusations. A spokesperson stated that Beijing opposes using national security excuses to block trade and technology development. Nvidia and the U.S. Commerce Department chose not to comment on the situation.
Washington politicians face a massive challenge regarding technology exports. Security hardliners worry that China will use advanced American chips to upgrade its military weapons and overtake the U.S. in the global AI race.
However, some tech leaders disagree with total trade bans. White House AI advisor David Sacks and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argue that selling advanced chips to China actually benefits America. They believe that if Chinese companies can buy American hardware, they will stop trying to invent their own competing technology.
The U.S. official believes DeepSeek operates a large cluster of these smuggled Blackwell chips at a data center in Inner Mongolia. The official also claimed DeepSeek trained its new software by copying answers from established American models, such as those made by OpenAI and Google. Tech experts call this copying process distillation.
DeepSeek shocked the technology industry earlier this year when it released highly capable AI models that rivaled top American products. This latest controversy ensures the fierce global race for artificial intelligence dominance will remain a hot political issue.
