US Senators Call for Review of Chinese AI Firm DeepSeek Over National Security Concerns

Seven Republican senators, led by Ted Budd of North Carolina, have urged the U.S. Commerce Department to investigate DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company behind the open-source R1 model. The lawmakers allege potential risks to national security, citing fears of military collaboration, data misuse, and inadequate safety controls.

The August 1 letter highlights R1's ability to generate harmful content, including instructions for self-harm and bioweapon construction. Critics argue the model's open-source nature creates vulnerabilities for hacking and data leaks. ByteNova AI CEO Chris Anderson warns unchecked code modification could expose sensitive information.

This scrutiny follows April 2025 deliberations by the TRUMP administration about banning DeepSeek amid growing US-China AI competition. The senators represent a bipartisan tech policy shift favoring stricter oversight of foreign-developed AI systems.