OpenAI Founder Dismisses Possibility of Legal Action Against DeepSeek
Sam Altman has described the Chinese AI model as “impressive” and has welcomed the competition, even amid worries about the potential for reverse-engineering GPT. Read Full Article at RT.com.
OpenAI's founder announced that the company has “no plans” to initiate legal action against DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup known for its sophisticated chatbot.
In remarks made in Tokyo on Monday, Altman referred to DeepSeek as “certainly an impressive model” and reiterated OpenAI’s dedication to creating superior products.
DeepSeek, which launched in January 2025, has quickly garnered attention for its free, open-source AI chatbot, DeepSeek-R1. Unlike OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which provides advanced features through a subscription service, DeepSeek-R1 is available at no cost.
Upon its release, it rapidly ascended to become the most downloaded free app on the US Apple App Store, gaining traction among AI researchers and tech leaders as a significant competitor to OpenAI.
Last month, OpenAI expressed concerns that DeepSeek might be utilizing “distillation” techniques to replicate the capabilities of GPT. This technique involves training a smaller model based on the outputs of a larger one, potentially bypassing the need for direct access to proprietary technology. OpenAI has claimed to possess evidence indicating that DeepSeek applied this method in developing its models.
When asked about the possibility of legal action, Altman firmly stated, “no, we have no plans to sue DeepSeek right now. We are going to just continue to build great products and lead the world with model capability, and I think that will work out fine.” He also noted that OpenAI is open to competition.
Following DeepSeek's launch, shares of US tech companies involved in AI, including Nvidia and Microsoft (OpenAI’s partner), saw significant declines as investors reacted to the emergence of a strong open-source competitor.
In the wake of concerns about DeepSeek’s potential ties to Chinese government-backed initiatives, various countries and organizations have imposed restrictions on its usage. Australia has issued warnings against DeepSeek, Italy’s data regulatory authority has blocked access to the app due to data privacy issues, and the US Navy has prohibited servicemen from using it.
US President Donald Trump has responded to the situation as well, labeling DeepSeek a “wake-up call” for American AI companies and encouraging US industries to remain “laser-focused on competing to win.”
In light of the competitive pressure from DeepSeek, OpenAI has revealed intentions to expedite the release of enhanced AI models to preserve its leadership position within the industry.
Simultaneously, other nations are ramping up their AI initiatives. India has announced plans to unveil its own competitors to DeepSeek and ChatGPT by year’s end, while South Korea’s Naver and the UAE’s Technology Innovation Institute are making significant investments in large language models. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also directed the government to collaborate with China on AI development.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News