DeepSeek did not immediately answer a request for comment on the allegations.
OpenAI added it will work with the US government to protect US technology, though it did not detail how.
“As the leading builder of AI, we engage in countermeasures to protect our IP, including a careful process for which frontier capabilities to include in released models,” the company said in a statement.
The most recent round of concern in Washington about China’s use of US products to advance its tech sector is similar to previous concerns about the semiconductor industry, where the US has imposed restrictions on what chips and manufacturing tools can be shipped to China and is examining restricting work on certain open technologies.