Following DeepSeek Release, Senator Proposes Bill to Separate US and Chinese AI Systems
The proposed legislation would prohibit the import and export of AI technology to and from China, with penalties for violators reaching up to 20 years in prison.
The United States is contemplating significant new regulations aimed at safeguarding its artificial intelligence (AI) development and hindering the improvement of AI capabilities in communist China.
Last week, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the “Decoupling America’s Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act” in the Senate.
The aim of Hawley’s legislation is to halt collaboration between the U.S. and China in AI development. It would prevent the export and import of AI products from the communist government and prohibit U.S. companies from investing in Chinese AI initiatives.
Violation of this law could result in substantial fines and/or imprisonment for up to 20 years.
“Every dollar and gig of data flowing into Chinese AI are ultimately dollars and data that will be used against the United States,” stated Hawley on January 29.
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In Hawley’s view, U.S. companies cannot waste resources on Chinese AI development, as it would only strengthen “our greatest adversary to the detriment of our own capabilities.”
“To maintain American economic leadership, we must sever China’s connection to American innovation and put a stop to the funding of [Chinese Communist Party] advancements,” asserted the senator from Missouri.
Sahar Tahvili, an AI research expert, informed The Epoch Times that the legislation seeks to restrict China’s access to AI advancements.
“The U.S. intends to limit China’s access to AI by curtailing the sharing of user data from American sources and decreasing hardware infrastructure support from allied firms,” stated Tahvili, who co-authored “Artificial Intelligence Methods for Optimization of the Software Testing Process.”
Tahvili pointed out that this new legislation is aimed at containing the ramifications of DeepSeek.
The proposed law would prevent U.S. data and hardware resources from being utilized in developing Chinese AI, she explained. Some analysts suspect that China utilized older-generation chips from Nvidia, a California-based company, in creating DeepSeek.
Ongoing discussions about data security are focused on relocating data centers and associated hardware infrastructure back to the United States, according to her.
Tahvili also indicated that the current discourse surrounding the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok and potential regulations on the app underscores worries about foreign access to American user data and AI technologies.
Another expert warned that a complete decoupling could trigger retaliatory actions from both nations, advocating instead for a strategy of “rivalry with collaboration.”
Pooran Pandey, an associate at the Global Techno Politics Forum in California, shared with The Epoch Times that the ongoing AI competition between the U.S. and China may result in supply chain complications.
He believes that if the proposed law is enacted, China would likely respond by restricting U.S. companies’ access to essential rare earth elements and minerals necessary for third-generation AI applications in automotive, civilian, and military fields.
