OpenAI Data Possibly Hacked and Misused by DeepSeek

DeepSeek has certainly managed to impress the world with its technological prowess, but it is not as clean as it would like to portray itself. Behind its AI model R-1, touted as an economic rival to ChatGPT, lies a story of massive data siphoning. In 2024, Microsoft and OpenAI discovered large-scale suspicious extraction via the OpenAI API, with suspicions pointing towards DeepSeek. This scandal reveals the growing tensions between China and the United States regarding AI.

DeepSeek: the Chinese AI in Microsoft’s crosshairs

In January 2025, the Chinese startup DeepSeek, recently praised by Sam Altman, made a strong impact with its R-1 model, a low-cost rival to ChatGPT. However, Microsoft, the number one investor in OpenAI, sensed foul play. According to Bloomberg, its security researchers detected abnormal data extraction via the OpenAI API in the autumn of 2024.

The burning question on everyone’s lips: Did DeepSeek siphon OpenAI’s models to train its own system?

🚨NEW: David Sacks, AI and Crypto Czar (@DavidSacks) speaks about DeepSeek and the implications for National Security on FOX News pic.twitter.com/AmtsCP8kA2

— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) January 28, 2025

David Sacks, the “czar” of AI at the White House, did not mince his words:

“There is substantial evidence that DeepSeek has distilled the knowledge of OpenAI models, and I doubt OpenAI will appreciate that.”

A heavy accusation, which relies on a method called distillation: one AI model copies another by learning from its outputs.

Juicy detail: this revelation has rocked tech markets, erasing billions of dollars in the United States. DeepSeek has earned a place on the global chessboard, but not without making some enemies.

AI and technological Cold War: a merciless battle

This scandal sheds light on a growing confrontation between the AI superpowers. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, is at the forefront of a technological war with China. And this time, the enemy is not hiding in laboratories, but in lines of code.

🚨U.S. NAVY BANS CHINESE AI DEEPSEEK OVER SECURITY RISKS

The U.S. Navy has issued an all-hands directive banning the use of DeepSeek, citing security and ethical concerns tied to its Chinese origins.

The AI model, which rivals OpenAI, surged to the top of the App Store,… https://t.co/eC9KxRPIt6 pic.twitter.com/EzfGoCxj1q

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 28, 2025

The tension is such that the US Navy has prohibited its personnel from using DeepSeek, fearing a security breach. An internal email from January 24 clarified:

“As a precaution, DeepSeek is banned. Ethical and security risks are too high.”

A radical measure that speaks volumes about the fears surrounding this Chinese AI.

Another concern: even though DeepSeek was designed at a lower cost, it still relies on immense data centers. As Tsarathustra remarked on X:

“American companies will learn effectiveness techniques from DeepSeek, but data centers remain the master asset.”

AI Czar David Sacks says American companies will learn efficiency techniques from China's DeepSeek AI model, but big AI data centers are still needed and scaling the biggest data centers is still an advantage pic.twitter.com/SuSlhGKO3J

— Tsarathustra (@tsarnick) January 28, 2025

A way of saying that, despite everything, Americans maintain a lead.

DeepSeek impresses, to be sure, but its meteoric rise has a downside: it has triggered a wave of crypto scams, proving that AI can also be a formidable tool for fraudsters.