OpenAI is examining evidence that Chinese start-up DeepSeek may have violated its terms of service by extracting substantial amounts of data from OpenAI's artificial intelligence systems, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The San Francisco-based enterprise suspects that DeepSeek could have employed data produced by OpenAI's technologies to develop similar capabilities within its own platforms. This technique, known as distillation, is a widespread practice in the AI industry. However, according to OpenAI's terms of service, the firm prohibits the use of its data to create technologies that directly compete in the same market space.
"We are aware of and reviewing indications that DeepSeek may have inappropriately distilled our models, and will share information as we know more," OpenAI spokeswoman Liz Bourgeois told the media. "We take aggressive, proactive countermeasures to protect our technology and will continue working closely with the US government to protect the most capable models being built here."