The House cybersecurity subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday examining China's AI capabilities, with a focus on DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics

The House cybersecurity subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday to examine China’s advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, with a focus on DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics. The session follows growing concerns about the national security implications of Chinese AI technologies, particularly their integration into military applications.

Recent reports indicate that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed AI-powered systems developed by DeepSeek, including autonomous vehicles and battlefield decision-support tools, to enhance operational efficiency according to Reuters. Unitree Robotics, known for its agile robot dogs, has also demonstrated AI-driven hardware in military drills, raising questions about the dual-use potential of such technologies as reported. The PLA’s procurement records and patents suggest a strategic shift toward domestic AI chips, including Huawei’s Ascend series, while still relying on some U.S.-originated components like Nvidia’s A100 chips according to analysis.

The hearing will address risks associated with China’s AI progress, including data sovereignty vulnerabilities and the potential for adversarial use of open-source models. Testimony from experts highlights gaps in U.S. export controls and enforcement, emphasizing the need for multilateral coordination to restrict access to advanced hardware according to a congressional hearing. Witnesses also called for increased federal investment in AI research and compute resources to maintain U.S. competitiveness.

Lawmakers are expected to scrutinize DeepSeek’s rapid rise, which has drawn comparisons to the “Sputnik moment” in AI, and its implications for global adoption of Chinese-developed models. The discussion will focus on balancing innovation with safeguards to mitigate risks to data privacy and critical infrastructure as outlined in the hearing. No immediate legislative actions are anticipated, but the hearing underscores intensifying bipartisan efforts to address China’s technological ascent.