DeepSeek Trained AI on Nvidia's Banned Blackwell Chip, US Officials Confirm

• China's DeepSeek reportedly trained its upcoming AI model on Nvidia's advanced Blackwell chip, despite a US export ban.
• A senior Trump administration official confirmed the use of Blackwell chips, potentially violating US export controls.
• The chips are believed to be clustered at DeepSeek's data center in Inner Mongolia, with DeepSeek expected to remove technical indicators of their use.
• The incident highlights a growing division among US policymakers regarding Chinese access to advanced AI semiconductor chips.
• Critics argue that exporting any AI chips to China is dangerous, fearing diversion to military use and undermining US dominance.