OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has expressed concerns that rival AI firms, including those in China, may be leveraging its research to develop their own models faster.

 

 

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has expressed concerns that rival AI firms, including those in China, may be leveraging its research to develop their own models faster.

This week, OpenAI’s dominance in the AI industry was challenged by DeepSeek, a Chinese AI application reportedly matching ChatGPT’s performance at a much lower cost.

 

Microsoft, a key OpenAI investor, is now investigating whether OpenAI’s data has been used without permission, according to Bloomberg. OpenAI’s concerns have also been echoed by David Sacks, the White House’s newly appointed AI and crypto czar, who suggested that DeepSeek may have used OpenAI’s models through knowledge distillation.

 

Sacks warned that leading AI companies will soon take steps to prevent such practices, which could slow down AI "copycats."

 

The U.S. government has already introduced measures to safeguard its AI leadership, restricting China’s access to advanced chips and encouraging domestic AI investments. Trump's nominee for Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, has also hinted at new actions to protect American AI firms from intellectual property theft.

 

Meanwhile, DeepSeek has reported cyberattacks and temporarily restricted new registrations, claiming it was targeted by large-scale malicious attacks.