A bill introduced in Congress would criminalize downloading DeepSeek AI models from China. The proposed law would take effect 180 days after passage and imposes up to 20 years in prison for importing AI or generative AI technology developed in China.
I’ve written before about DeepSeek’s questionable cost claims and infrastructure requirements. Now they face direct legal challenges in the US market. The bill explicitly targets not just commercial use but any importation of Chinese AI intellectual property – including simply downloading model weights.
The US Navy already bans DeepSeek use, and Congressional offices received warnings about security risks from the software. These moves align with broader US efforts to restrict Chinese AI development through export controls on semiconductors.
But this bill goes much further by criminalizing individual downloads. While concerns about Chinese AI are valid, making it a serious crime to download open source models seems extreme. Open source AI has major benefits in advancing the field and enabling innovation.
The 20-year maximum sentence puts downloading an AI model in the same category as violent crimes. This signals the US government views Chinese AI as a critical national security threat rather than just a trade or intellectual property issue.
Bottom line: While Chinese AI development deserves scrutiny, criminalizing downloads of open source models with decades-long prison sentences will likely harm US AI innovation more than it helps security. A more balanced approach focused on commercial and government use would better serve US interests.
