DeepSeek: A Game Changer in AI, Raises Concerns Over China's Censorship

A newly popular Chinese chatbot, DeepSeek, has sparked controversy over its ability to control and censor sensitive information, while also outperforming Western competitors like OpenAI and Google, raising concerns about the U.S. tech industry's complacency and national security implications.

The chatbot, developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek, provides answers to users' queries that show a strong bias towards the Chinese government's official narrative, particularly on sensitive topics like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Tiananmen Square massacre. When asked about the Tiananmen Square massacre, the bot initially provides a detailed account before suddenly deleting its response and stating it's "not sure how to approach this type of question." This approach is consistent with China's strict censorship policies, which restrict access to information about the event.

Experts note that DeepSeek's approach breaks traditional models, optimizing algorithms to bypass computational power constraints. The startup used 2,000 Nvidia H800 GPUs to train the bot in weeks, at a cost of $5.6 million, compared to others who spent upwards of $100 million on 10,000 or more GPUs. This achievement has led to concerns that the U.S. is "living in a bubble" and that China's innovation may be ahead of schedule.

The controversy surrounding DeepSeek has raised concerns about American data being in the hands of Chinese firms, with the White House investigating potential national security implications. Unlike Western rivals, DeepSeek collects keystroke patterns and rhythms, which can be used as biometrics, and allows for sharing user data with entities within its corporate group. Chip export controls, imposed by the U.S. due to national security concerns, have not hindered DeepSeek's progress, with the company stockpiling chips before the controls took effect.

As the debate surrounding DeepSeek continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the U.S. will respond to the rising threat of Chinese innovation and the implications it has on national security and free speech. One thing is certain, however, DeepSeek has proven to be a game changer in the world of AI, and its impact will be felt for years to come.