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A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have introduced legislation seeking to ban the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from government devices.
Some shit you should know before you read: Roughly a month ago, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek launched its R1 model, a high-performing AI system that shocked the industry by being developed for just $5.6 million—a fraction of the billions of dollars spent by US companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta on similar models. Unlike its American counterparts, which rely on massive infrastructure and cutting-edge chips, DeepSeek used only 2,000 Nvidia H800 chips, which are older and less advanced, to train its model efficiently. This breakthrough raised significant concerns about whether China is closing the AI gap with the US, potentially challenging America’s technological dominance.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, Senators Jon Husted (R-OH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” a bipartisan bill aimed at banning the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from US government devices. The legislation seeks to prevent potential national security threats posed by the AI platform, which lawmakers argue could be exploited by the Chinese Communist Party for data collection and disinformation campaigns. If passed, the bill would grant the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director the authority to remove DeepSeek from government systems.
Senator Husted stressed the risks associated with DeepSeek, warning that it is a “tool that perpetuates Communist China’s agenda—full stop. It exposes Americans’ data to our adversary’s government, lies to its users, and exploits American workers’ AI advances.” Senator Rosen echoed these concerns, calling for the need for proactive measures, saying, “As the artificial intelligence landscape continues to rapidly expand, the US must take steps to ensure Americans’ data and government systems remain protected against platforms—like DeepSeek—that are linked to our adversaries.”
This all comes as Texas and New York have already taken action to ban DeepSeek from government devices, citing national security and data privacy concerns. Back in December, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state agencies and government employees not to download or install DeepSeek. Similarly, New York officials announced a statewide ban earlier this month over concerns it could be used for data collection by the Chinese Communist Party.
