China says US accusations that Chinese AI labs stole capabilities from American models are “groundless,” as both countries compete in artificial intelligence. The dispute centers on claims that Chinese systems reproduce the outputs of US models through large-scale methods.
The US side describes the alleged activity as industrial-scale “knowledge distillation,” and an advisory released by a US cyber defense agency accuses leading Chinese AI labs, including DeepSeek and Moonshot AI, of systematically stealing capabilities. China counters that the allegations are not supported, and frames the issue as part of broader competition over technology leadership.
While the outlets report the same core accusation and denial, they differ mainly in emphasis. The US-oriented account highlights the advisory and the named firms, while the Chinese response focuses on dismissing the claims as baseless. Both countries continue to treat AI development as a strategic priority amid ongoing tensions around cybersecurity and technological supremacy.
