this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2025
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Summary:

The launch of Chinese AI application DeepSeek in the U.S. has raised national security concerns among officials, lawmakers, and cybersecurity experts. The app quickly became the most downloaded on Apple's store, disrupting Wall Street and causing a record 17% drop in Nvidia's stock. The White House announced an investigation into the potential risks, with some lawmakers calling for stricter export controls to prevent China from leveraging U.S. technology.

Beyond economic impact, experts warn DeepSeek may pose significant data security risks, as Chinese law allows government access to company-held data. Unlike TikTok, which stores U.S. data on Oracle servers, DeepSeek operates directly from China, collecting personal user information. The app also exhibits censorship, blocking content on politically sensitive topics like Tiananmen Square. Some analysts argue that, as an open-source model, DeepSeek may not be as concerning as TikTok, but critics worry its widespread adoption could advance China’s influence through curated information control.

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[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 8 points 16 hours ago

US needs to be a lot more transparent about all these concerns. It's starting to feel like shouting wolf.

[–] magnus919@lemmy.brandyapple.com 26 points 20 hours ago

Let's also remember that "U.S. officials" now describes MAGA flunkies that replaced actually qualified professionals.

[–] Eezyville@sh.itjust.works 34 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

This is just so fun to watch.

America: "Executive order now! No US person is allowed to help the Chinese develop these technologies! We will imprison you traitor!"

China: "OK. We'll just develop it ourselves." DeepSeek enters the chat

America: "Fuck! National security emergency!"

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 11 points 20 hours ago

NOOOOOOOOO

MYY YACHT MONEYYYYYYYY

[–] 0liviuhhhhh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 135 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (11 children)

Of course it's a national security threat, it's just more proof that the US economy is just a giant ponzi scheme.

If China can do it better on a budget of $6m in 18 months with low end equipment, then why does it take an American company 10 years, half a trillion dollars, and the entire nation's supply of high-end graphics cards?

[–] Srh@lemmy.world 6 points 18 hours ago

China built it in cave, with a box of scraps!

[–] credo@lemmy.world 40 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

The model isn’t afaik. I.e., if you download one of the models and run it locally. It’s the app with folks pasting proprietary, company secret, etc data into it.

Really, it’s the same problem as with ChatGPT, but now an organization in another country has your data. I guess we’ll see if our new techno bro overlords try to use this to their advantage across the board to limit competition, even from local processing.

Taking bets.

[–] 0liviuhhhhh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 30 points 1 day ago (26 children)

I just find it amusing how when proprietary data/company secrets/whatever are being sent to openAI it's a matter of "that was irresponsible don't let it happen again" but some guy in Kentucky isn't able to get a detailed description of Tiananmen Square from the US perspective without a little effort and it's the end of national security as we know it.

Same with the tiktok ban. How many classified military secrets do we think some regular dude in a trailer in Alabama really has on his phone?

"National Security" in the US is literally just code for rich people's bank accounts at this point.

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The War Thunder forum is a greater threat to "national security" than any of this AI whohash. Something, something, nickle...

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[–] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 16 hours ago

You can download the model.

If you download the app, though, yes thats going to their servers.

[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 6 points 1 day ago

No data is sent to servers if you run it locally.

[–] tburkhol@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (5 children)

First time you do something is always harder. OpenAI just didn't think it was 1000x harder and thought they'd have more time to cash in.

Myself, I think that being able to throw billions of dollars at hardware, and their focus on next-quarter results discouraged them from putting in the human effort to analyze and optimize their process. It turns out there were some fantastic optimizations to do.

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[–] naeap@sopuli.xyz 3 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (2 children)

Distilling OpenAI and Llama models probably also helped quite a bit

Although I must admit, that the architectural changes are pretty cool

but I have to add, that I've just started reading into the topic a few weeks ago and don't really have any real practical experience, besides checking out some huggingface docs I got linked yesterday and stupid me hasn't thought about looking there...
So everything I say is probably bullshit o⁠:⁠-⁠)

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[–] romanomenon@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago

Oh no! Anyway….

[–] MrNesser@lemmy.world 48 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You did something cheaper quicker and it's more efficient it must be bad the US

[–] themurphy@lemmy.ml 10 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Just like EV's and battery technology. Up to 40% tarrif on some brands.

They are cheaper with more range. The range is literally only achievable through better technology and hardware.

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[–] Sgt_choke_n_stroke@lemmy.world 23 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

It's open source. Trying to block it is futile now lmao

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 3 points 16 hours ago

"No! Ban GitHub! It hosts the code of our adversaries! And while we're at it, ban the internet!" —Plutocrats, probably.

[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago

Are we really doing this again?

[–] Fake4000@lemmy.world 67 points 1 day ago (3 children)

If it's open source and can be hosted locally, I don't think there are issues with national security in this case.

There is money to be lost though. Always follow the money.

[–] Xanthobilly@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

Like TikTok. The national security threat is actually just fear of profit loss.

[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

it's not fully open source. it comes with binary blobs you can't build from source.

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[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago (1 children)

National security, anti-terrorism, protecting children.

The trifecta of reasons given for abolishing freedoms

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[–] extremeboredom@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (9 children)

as Chinese law allows government access to company-held data.

... Kind of exactly like how US law allows government access to company-held data?

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[–] qyron@sopuli.xyz 7 points 21 hours ago

Good. Perhaps while all the idiots are busy devising a "plan" to address this, those evil brain leave everyone else alone.

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 4 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

The veil.... it has been lifted.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

When you're living in the imperial core violently genociding the planet to make a quick buck, of course everything is a security concern and opportunity for the MIC to profit.

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 day ago

As we just lost any sort of moral high ground, ok. 2 years ago maybe I'd be worried. 9 years ago I'd definitely have been worried. Today, the enemy of my enemy is my ally.

[–] _sideffect@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

It's better than our usa tech, sir!

Quick, mark it as a security threat!

[–] db2@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If they're limiting focus to the Chinese app then they're noir wrong. If they mean the whole model then they're full of crap.

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[–] Viri4thus@feddit.org 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Hahahahahahahaha, manufactured consent in full throttle here. Hahahahahaha

*plays the world's smallest violin

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 7 points 1 day ago

Us Corpo got daddy Sam to come protect them from the bad chinaman

Pathetic... Sam altman defrauded microshit, they deserve each other

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Weaselly little liars.

Deepseek released the model and showed how they made it. You can run it locally. It doesn't connect to the internet.

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[–] stardust@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It's open source so why not just take the best parts of it and run it themselves if it is such a worry instead of relying on their app and website.

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[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 8 points 1 day ago

While the calls from Moolenaar could be the first inkling of a possible congressional crackdown, Ross Burley — a co-founder of the nonprofit Centre for Information Resilience — warned that DeepSeek's emergence in the U.S. raises data security and privacy issues for users.

Yeah, because it's just soooo much better to have American plutocrats slurping up our data without consent and getting to do whatever they want with impunity. /s

"What they'll use it for is behavior change campaigns, disinformation campaigns, for really targeted messaging as to what Western audiences like, what they do," he added.

Yeah, because it's just soooo much better to have American plutocrats doing every single one of those things and more in the name of Profit. /s

Our leaders are hilariously tone-deaf.

[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

it's not fully open souce tho.

it comes with binary blobs you can't build from the source.

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