US export controls on high-tech chips may have inadvertently fuelled the success of start-up DeepSeek’s AI chatbot, sparking fears in Washington there could be little it can do to stop China in the push for global dominance in AI.
The firm, based in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, has stunned investors and industry insiders with its R1 programme, which can match its American competitors seemingly at a fraction of the cost.
That’s despite a strict US regime prohibiting Chinese firms from accessing the kinds of advanced chips needed to power the massive learning models used to develop AI.
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has admitted the “embargo on high-end chips” has proved a major hurdle in its work.
But while the curbs have long aimed to ensure US tech dominance, analysts suggest they may have spurred the firm to develop clever ways to overcome them.
The company has said it …