The controversy centers on the use of "distillation," a process where a smaller AI model is trained to mimic a larger one, which DeepSeek allegedly used to replicate ChatGPT-4. This practice, though common, poses challenges in enforcing intellectual property rights. OpenAI has expressed concerns about foreign companies, particularly from China, using such methods to exploit US technology. The incident may prompt AI developers to reconsider their stance on intellectual property, as they face increasing scrutiny and legal challenges over the use of copyrighted materials in AI training.
Key takeaways:
- China's DeepSeek AI chatbot has caused panic in the US AI industry, leading to a significant drop in AI-related companies' stock prices, including a 17% drop for Nvidia.
- DeepSeek reportedly developed its chatbot using a fraction of the resources compared to US models, raising concerns of intellectual property theft from OpenAI's ChatGPT-4.
- OpenAI is investigating DeepSeek for potential IP violations, with Microsoft alerting them to the issue, and has blocked DeepSeek's access to ChatGPT.
- The situation highlights the ongoing debate over intellectual property rights in AI development, with OpenAI and other companies facing lawsuits for using copyrighted content in AI training.