DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence firm, reported experiencing "large-scale malicious attacks" that have disrupted its service operations. These cyberattacks have resulted in significant registration delays, as indicated by a banner on DeepSeek's website. The situation has prompted the US National Security Council (NSC) to investigate potential national security implications, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. US President Donald Trump described the incident as "a wake-up call" for the American tech industry, suggesting that it might ultimately be a "positive" sign for innovation.
DeepSeek's recent rise to prominence has been remarkable, with its affordable yet powerful AI model surprising Silicon Valley and leading to a surge in downloads of its chatbot app. This rapid ascent has even caused a temporary slump in US tech stocks, which have since begun to recover. However, the attacks on DeepSeek have raised security concerns in the United States, with reports indicating that the US Navy has banned its personnel from using the company's app.
The origins of the cyberattacks remain unclear, despite Chinese state media citing cybersecurity experts who claim that the attacks are originating from US-based IP addresses. The BBC has been unable to verify these claims independently. Meanwhile, OpenAI, a leading US AI firm, echoed concerns about international companies attempting to replicate American AI models.
"Due to large-scale malicious attacks on DeepSeek's services, registration may be busy," – DeepSeek's website
The White House's AI and crypto czar, David Sacks, discussed the issue on Fox News, suggesting that DeepSeek might have utilized models developed by top US firm OpenAI to enhance their own offerings. He emphasized the need for American AI companies to implement measures to prevent such distillation practices.
"I think one of the things you're going to see over the next few months is our leading AI companies taking steps to try and prevent distillation… That would definitely slow down some of these copycat models," – David Sacks, White House AI and crypto czar
OpenAI highlighted its ongoing efforts to safeguard its intellectual property and expressed its commitment to collaborating with the US government for enhanced protection of its advanced models.
"As the leading builder of AI, we engage in countermeasures to protect our [intellectual property]… and believe as we go forward that it is critically important that we are working closely with the U.S. government to best protect the most capable models," – OpenAI
Despite these challenges, President Trump remains optimistic about the potential benefits of competition in technological advancements.
"If you could do it cheaper, if you could do it [for] less [and] get to the same end result. I think that's a good thing for us," – US President Donald Trump
Experts argue that while the US holds an advantage due to its status as home to major chip-makers, uncertainties persist about the construction and capabilities of DeepSeek's model. Although DeepSeek is not among the leading Chinese firms developing AI models to compete with US-made ChatGPT, its swift rise has caught attention worldwide.