DeepSeek takes away key employees' passports to stop them from leaving China, report claims

Deepseek

DeepSeek is becoming very popular in China and around the world because of its powerful and cost-effective language model. However, as the company grows, the Chinese government is also keeping a close watch on its AI technology.

A report by The Information claims that DeepSeek has taken away the passports of its top executives to stop them from traveling to other countries. The report suggests that the company is afraid these employees might share important company secrets if they go abroad.DeepSeek is yet to react to the claims.

Some employees at DeepSeek are not allowed to travel freely outside China. According to The Information, the Chinese government is now involved in deciding who can invest in DeepSeek, meaning it wants more control over the company’s future.

To enforce these travel restrictions, DeepSeek’s parent company, High-Flyer (a hedge fund), is holding onto the passports of certain employees. This prevents them from leaving the country and possibly sharing sensitive information.

These restrictions come shortly after reports that the Chinese government advised AI researchers and business leaders not to travel to the US The concern is that they might reveal important trade secrets, especially as AI competition between China and the US intensifies. Notably, China has also labelled DeepSeek as its “national treasure”.