Chinese AI firm DeepSeek reportedly using shell companies to try and evade U.S. chip restrictions — allegedly

[Kaz]

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek reportedly using shell companies to try and evade U.S. chip restrictions — allegedly procured unknown number of H100 AI GPUs after ban, but Nvidia denies the claim

 

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A new report claims that Chinese AI juggernaut DeepSeek is helping China's military and intelligence operations, and may have even used shell companies to help procure Nvidia chips that are otherwise covered by export restrictions that prevent their sale to China, according to Reuters.

A senior State Department official told Reuters," We understand that DeepSeek has willingly provided and will likely continue to provide support to China's military and intelligence operations, adding the effort goes "above and beyond" open-source access to DeepSeek's AI models.

 

More interestingly, the official said DeepSeek was using workarounds to get access to advanced Nvidia chips, evading export controls. It is claimed DeepSeek has access to "large volumes" of Nvidia's H100 chip, which has been covered by Washington export restrictions since 2022.

Chinese AI firm DeepSeek reportedly using shell companies to try and evade U.S. chip restrictions — allegedly procured unknown number of H100 AI GPUs after ban, but Nvidia denies the claim | Tom's Hardware

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Nvidia says DeepSeek lawfully acquired H800 chips, not H100