DeepSeek developers now under travel restrictions from China

China is keeping a close eye on companies related to AI technologies, and the recent popularity of DeepSeek's R1 model prompted the government to tighten regulations. Some startup employees have had their passports taken away, Firstpost reports.

Why DeepSeek developers were banned from leaving China

Publications report that DeepSeek's owner, the High-Flyer hedge fund, has taken away the passports of some key employees. According to the sources, this was done to prevent the leak of confidential information that may constitute trade or state secrets.

"The report claims that the Chinese government now has a say in who is allowed to invest in DeepSeek, indicating that it desires greater authority over the company’s fate. Notably, the Xi Jinping-led administration has also labelled DeepSeek as its "national treasure", the message reads.

Some of DeepSeek's plans have also become known. In particular, the startup is currently focused on the development of two new models — R2 and V4. The company aims to create general artificial intelligence (AGI). The founder and CEO of DeepSeek, Chinese billionaire Liang Wenfeng, has a very original approach to the development of the company, unlike Western competitors, as one of the foreign publications noted.

It was also added that if DeepSeek's future needs exceed the available capacity of the data center, the company will rely on third-party providers instead of purchasing its own equipment. At the same time, the Chinese government is helping the company by providing access to government-funded data centers.

It is now known that DeepSeek has about 160 employees, which is significantly less than the 2000 employees at OpenAI. The new R2 and V4 models are a priority for the company and are expected to be released in May.

Earlier, China accuses US hackers of cyberattacks on DeepSeek. Also, Chinese presented an autonomous AI agent Manus.