OpenAI and Microsoft are conducting an investigation into whether Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek leveraged OpenAI’s models to develop its own AI solutions, according to a recent Bloomberg report. The inquiry follows the introduction of DeepSeek’s competitive AI models, raising concerns about possible intellectual property infringements.
Sources indicate that Microsoft’s security teams detected unusual data movements in late 2024, involving large-scale data extraction through OpenAI developer accounts allegedly linked to DeepSeek. Additionally, OpenAI informed the Financial Times that it uncovered evidence of AI model distillation, a process where smaller AI models are trained using data extracted from more advanced models.
While model distillation is a common technique in AI development, systematically using OpenAI’s API to extract and replicate its models would constitute a breach of OpenAI’s terms of service. Although OpenAI has not disclosed specific evidence publicly, the company asserts that DeepSeek may have employed this method to develop its models at a significantly lower cost than the estimated $100 million+ investment required to train GPT-4.
The allegations have drawn attention from the U.S. government, with President Donald Trump’s administration weighing in on the matter. White House AI policy advisor David Sacks told Fox News that the situation could signify intellectual property theft. “There’s substantial evidence that what DeepSeek did here is they distilled knowledge out of OpenAI models, and I don’t think OpenAI is very happy about this,” Sacks remarked.
In a statement to Bloomberg, OpenAI underscored concerns about foreign attempts to exploit U.S.-developed AI technologies. “We know PRC (China)-based companies—and others—are constantly trying to distill the models of leading U.S. AI companies,” the company stated. OpenAI further emphasized its commitment to implementing countermeasures to safeguard its intellectual property and collaborating with the U.S. government to prevent foreign entities from capitalizing on American AI advancements.
As the investigation progresses, OpenAI and Microsoft continue to examine potential security breaches and unauthorized usage of proprietary AI models. Meanwhile, DeepSeek has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
Recent Random Post: