American Republican Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill that prohibits the import and export of artificial intelligence technologies between the US and China. If passed, individuals downloading the Chinese Deepseek and Deepseek model could face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to a million dollars, or both punishments simultaneously.
The new restrictions are aimed at preventing the transfer of American technologies to China, which Hawley believes is using AI development to compete against the United States. The senator specifically highlighted DeepSeek, describing the model as a “data-collecting” and “low-cost” system that has raised international concerns and caused a significant drop in the shares of American tech companies.
In addition to banning the import and export of AI products, the bill also prohibits American companies from collaborating with Chinese organizations in the field of AI and investing in the Chinese AI sector. This has raised concerns among researchers and human rights activists.
A representative from the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) stated that the bill poses a threat to scientific exchange and could lead to the criminal prosecution of users who download Chinese AI models. While the bill only considers “intentional” violations punishable, the wording has been deemed “excessively broad” by the CDT representative.
The legislation also includes hefty fines for companies that publish research publicly if the material can be downloaded in China. This has raised concerns among experts working in open scientific environments, as both companies and individual researchers could be at risk.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation pointed out that the bill restricts AI development in the US, hinders the free exchange of knowledge, and threatens algorithm transparency. According to the EFF, the US government has previously attempted to equate data publication with technology export, and the new law would further solidify the dominance of large corporations in AI solutions.
While critics have deemed the bill too stringent and impractical, bipartisan support has been maintained in the US Congress for initiatives aimed at countering China. Despite initial skepticism, the bill to ban TikTok passed successfully in both chambers of Congress and was signed into law