Nvidia CEO Defends Developer Support Amid Congressional Scrutiny Over DeepSeek Ties

Congressional Accusations Emerge

Nvidia faces fresh congressional scrutiny after Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick alleging that the chipmaker provided extensive technical support to Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. According to documents obtained by the committee, Nvidia technology personnel helped DeepSeek achieve major training efficiency gains through what Moolenaar described as an optimised co-design of algorithms, frameworks, and hardware.

The Training Efficiency Question

The allegations centre on how DeepSeek managed to train its V3 model using significantly fewer computing resources than typically required by American developers. Committee documents claim DeepSeek-V3 completed its full training using only 2.788 million H800 GPU hours, substantially less than what US developers typically need for frontier-scale AI models. This efficiency has raised questions about the extent of technical collaboration between the American chipmaker and the Beijing-based startup.

Military Connections Alleged

Moolenaar's letter claims DeepSeek's technology has been integrated into People's Liberation Army systems, though he acknowledged that when Nvidia provided assistance during 2024, there was no public indication the technology would be employed by China's military. The congressman stated that Nvidia treated DeepSeek accordingly as a legitimate commercial partner deserving of standard technical support.

Huang Responds in Taipei

Speaking to reporters in Taiwan, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang defended the company's approach. He stated that whenever developers want to use Nvidia's software, the company openly supports everyone, adding that every AI developer in the world works with Nvidia. The company has disputed implications of wrongdoing, arguing it would be illogical for the Chinese military to depend on American technology.

Export Controls Debate Intensifies

The controversy arrives amid ongoing debate about semiconductor export restrictions to China. China has conditionally approved DeepSeek and other major Chinese tech firms to purchase Nvidia's H200 chips, though Huang told reporters his company had not been informed of such approvals and that China was still finalising the licensing process. Moolenaar has called for stricter enforcement of export restrictions and tighter regulations on Chinese-origin AI models used in the United States.