There are many enemies that are out to destroy the U.S. But this GOP politician isn’t going to stand by and let that happen.
And a Republican Senator makes a threat to this foreign adversary that they can’t ignore.
This week, the U.S. tech sector faced a significant challenge following the launch of DeepSeek, an AI model developed in China.
The release of this new, high-profile technology has stirred up concerns in Washington, prompting Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to introduce new legislation aimed at curbing U.S.-China cooperation in the realm of artificial intelligence.
Hawley’s proposed bill, the Decoupling America’s Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act, seeks to sever ties between the two nations regarding AI development. If passed, the bill would prohibit the export or import of AI technologies between the U.S. and China, prevent American companies from conducting research in China, and ban U.S. investments in Chinese AI firms.
“Every dollar and gig of data that flows into Chinese AI are dollars and data that will ultimately be used against the United States,” Hawley stated. “America cannot afford to empower our greatest adversary.”
This legislation is one of the first to directly address the impact of DeepSeek’s market disruption, which has sent ripples through the U.S. tech industry.
DeepSeek, which offers a cheaper alternative to existing AI models from companies like Meta and OpenAI, created a wave of uncertainty.
The release caused a sharp drop in the stock price of chipmaker Nvidia on Monday, though it gradually recovered over the following day.
The arrival of DeepSeek’s cost-effective AI model revealed the growing competitive edge of China’s economy, highlighting a mismatch between U.S. business leaders and lawmakers in how to respond.
While many previous efforts to counter China’s technological advancements have targeted specific companies, Hawley’s bill addresses all AI-related technology, potentially complicating efforts by China to exploit loopholes through other businesses.
According to Bloomberg News, reports have surfaced that Microsoft and OpenAI are now investigating whether DeepSeek may have utilized their data to train its own AI models.
White House AI czar David Sacks suggested to Fox News that there’s “substantial evidence that what DeepSeek did here is they distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI’s models.”
The sudden success of DeepSeek has also garnered attention from former President Donald Trump, who called the launch a “wake-up call” for American tech companies. The new AI assistant quickly soared to No. 1 on the Apple App Store over the weekend, highlighting the competitiveness of Chinese innovation.
Trump acknowledged that cheaper, more efficient AI models could be beneficial on a global scale, noting that consumers could get similar solutions at a lower cost.
“The release of DeepSeek AI from a Chinese company should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser focused on competing,” Trump added.
Despite this, he pointed out that the availability of affordable AI could ultimately be positive, saying, “Instead of spending billions and billions, you’ll spend less, and you’ll come up with, hopefully, the same solution.”
In the final days of his presidency, President Joe Biden enacted a rule placing export controls on AI chips, with national security advisor Jake Sullivan stating that the U.S. was only six to 18 months ahead of China in the AI race.
U.S. officials are now closely examining the implications of national security as a result of DeepSeek’s release, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasizing that the Trump administration had been working to “ensure American AI dominance.”
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
