OpenAI has said it has evidence that DeepSeek used ChatGPT to train its artificial intelligence models without permission, with Microsoft reportedly investigating the issue.
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, released its first free chatbot this month, which soon surged to the top of Apple’s App Store. According to DeepSeek, its AI models perform similarly to ChatGPT and were developed at a significantly lower cost.
“We are aware of and reviewing indications that DeepSeek may have inappropriately distilled our models, and will share information as we know more,” said an OpenAI spokesperson.
Distillation is a method of training AI models by extracting data from a larger, more powerful model’s application programming interface.
Security researchers at Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest financial backer, reportedly found individuals linked to DeepSeek extracting data in this way last year. Microsoft notified OpenAI and has begun investigating, according to Bloomberg.
“We take aggressive, proactive countermeasures to protect our technology and will continue working closely with the U.S. government to protect the most capable models being built here,” the OpenAI spokesperson said.
David Sacks, United States President Donald Trump’s AI czar, told Fox News that “there’s substantial evidence that what DeepSeek did here is they distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI’s models.” He did not describe any measures that the government may be preparing to take.
Users on OpenAI’s community forums said that DeepSeek’s chatbot at times claimed it was made by OpenAI.
Microsoft declined to comment.
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