White House 'Looking Into' National Security Implications of DeepSeek's AI

During the first press briefing of Donald Trump's second administration, White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that the National Security Council was 'looking into' the potential security implications of China's DeepSeek AI startup. Axios reports: DeepSeek's low-cost but highly advanced models have shaken the consensus that the U.S. had a strong lead in the AI race with China. Responding to a question from Axios' Mike Allen, Leavitt said President Trump saw this as a 'wake-up call' for the U.S. AI industry, but remained confident 'we'll restore American dominance.' Leavitt said she had personally discussed the matter with the NSC earlier on Tuesday.

In the combative tone that characterized much of her first briefing, Leavitt claimed the Biden administration 'sat on its hands and allowed China to rapidly develop this AI program,' while Trump had moved quickly to appoint an AI czar and loosen regulations on the AI industry. Leavitt also commented on the mysterious drones spotted flying around New Jersey at the end of last year, saying they were 'authorized to be flown by the FAA.'

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