Lawmakers Seek Information on US Chip Firm's Possible Ties to China’s DeepSeek
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China said April 16 that they have asked U.S.-based Nvidia whether and how the company’s chips powered the recent development of an advanced artificial intelligence model by Chinese startup DeepSeek despite U.S. export restrictions.
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In a letter to Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang and in a related report, Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the committee’s chairman and ranking member, respectively, echo concerns by lawmakers that DeepSeek allegedly obtained tens of thousands of restricted Nvidia chips through loopholes in U.S. export controls and from smuggling through third countries (see 2502030031).
“Despite multiple rounds of U.S. export restrictions on AI chips, DeepSeek’s ability to develop cutting-edge AI models suggests that loopholes or indirect channels may still exist,” the letter says. “This raises serious questions about whether current U.S. export control laws adequately prevent the most sensitive AI technologies from falling into the hands of our adversaries. Failure to correct deficiencies could undermine U.S. AI and technological leadership, affecting economic and national security for Americans.”
The letter asks Nvidia to provide a list of its AI chip customers in China and 10 other Asian countries since 2020. It also requests any communications between Nvidia and DeepSeek and any agreements Nvidia has with U.S. government-restricted Chinese companies.
An Nvidia spokesperson said in an email that the company complies with U.S. export controls. "The U.S. government instructs American businesses on what they can sell and where -- we follow the government’s directions to the letter," the spokesperson said.