US Government Removes Chinese AI Search Tool After Security Concerns
The US government has removed an AI search tool from the Federal Register website after users noted its origin from a Chinese company flagged by the FBI for alleged malicious activities.
A Chinese artificial intelligence search tool was removed from the US government's Federal Register website on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The tool, based on Alibaba's Qwen AI model, was deployed on the site managed by the National Archives, an independent agency responsible for public access to federal documents.
The removal followed public scrutiny after social media users identified the tool's Chinese origin. This raised concerns due to a recent FBI assessment that flagged several Chinese firms, including Alibaba, for allegedly engaging in "industrial-scale distillation." The FBI claims this practice enables China to illegally copy US AI models, reducing development costs and time in the global AI race.
It remains unclear when the National Archives began using the Qwen model to enhance public comment searches on proposed regulations. The agency has not yet commented on the tool's removal or responded to requests for further information. Neither the White House nor the FBI has issued a statement regarding the incident.
This situation highlights ongoing tensions and security considerations surrounding the use of foreign AI technologies by US government entities amidst a broader technological competition.