Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill that criminalizes the import, export, and collaboration on AI technology with China.
This means that if “someone knowingly downloads a Chinese artificial intelligence model, such as the hugely popular DeepSeek, they could face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $XNUMX million, or both.” reports 404 Media.
Hawley introduced the legislation, titled Decoupling America's Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act, last Wednesday.
“Every dollar and every packet of data that goes into Chinese artificial intelligence is dollars and data that will ultimately be used against the United States,” Senator Hawley said.
“America cannot afford to empower our greatest adversary at our expense. Ensuring American economic supremacy means cutting China off from American ingenuity and ending the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) subsidy of innovation.”
Hawley's statement explicitly states that he is bringing the legislation due to the release of DeepSeek, an advanced artificial intelligence model that is competitive with its American counterparts and which its developers claim was made at minimal cost and without access to such advanced chips, although all of this has not been verified.
Hawley's statement calls DeepSeek "a low-cost AI model that aggregates data, sparked international concerns and led to the US tech stocks in decline".
Hawley's statement says the bill's goal is to "prohibit the import or export of artificial intelligence technology to China, prohibit U.S. companies from conducting artificial intelligence research in China or in partnership with Chinese companies," and "prohibit U.S. companies from investing money in Chinese artificial intelligence development."
George is still wondering what he is doing here….
