Staff Reports
In the ever-churning world of global economics and technology, the latest kerfuffle centers on President Trump’s announcement of impending tariffs on computer chips, specifically in response to China’s latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) app, DeepSeek. As if there weren’t enough reasons to keep emergency headache pills handy, this move seemingly adds fuel to an already blazing bonfire called the “AI arms race.” China’s gallop forward with AI tech is causing quite the commotion on Wall Street, with tech stocks and the NASDAQ diving. It appears the markets are reacting like a cat at a fireworks show—if China is indeed managing to do things cheaper and more efficiently, there’s plenty of reason to squirm.
Among the skeptics is Kevin O’Leary, who has been suggesting there’s a whiff of something not quite right about the whole situation. Smells like some good old-fashioned propaganda to him. We are reminded that countries are often in economic and technological conflicts, or what he sharply calls a war, with China. The real concern is that whoever masters AI dominance might just have the upper hand in more than one global arena. If this new DeepSeek app makes its sneaky way onto your smartphone, O’Leary suggests you might want to use a burner phone—a spy movie tactic to keep your data safe.
Jumping into the conversation is Jackie DeAngelis, who doesn’t hold back her skepticism either. According to her, China has merely copied existing technology from the United States, like a student peeking over a smart kid’s shoulder during a test. While there’s plenty of talk about flashy innovation, the practical truth seems rooted in old technology getting a facelift and a new price tag. She is unconvinced that this app marks a significant milestone in tech history. Instead, it echoes the age-old tale of tech companies finding a way to do things cheaper, not necessarily better.
There’s also an underlying problem that goes far beyond the flashy news headlines. It’s the not-so-small detail that this AI app may well be mining data from its users and sending it back to China. Yes, your emails, those grocery lists, even that unsent message you drafted but never had the nerve to send could be caught in this digital dragnet. This has the makings of what one might call a breach of trust—or in more dramatic terms—a breach of an act of Congress. If U.S. citizen data is hopping onto a tech express headed overseas, it’s more than a bit problematic.
Amidst this tangled web of technological intrigue and economic tension, there lies a nugget of opportunity. As discussions roll on, Senator Lindsey Graham tosses an ambitious bill into the ring. The issue of Chinese companies’ obligation to share data with their government is being questioned. Graham suggests that it’s high time to consider giving users ownership of their own data. Such a move could end this quagmire of legal entanglements and international disputes. By letting people control how their data is used and even profiting from it, a path forward might emerge. But whether this potential path is as clear as it seems or just an exercise in wishful thinking remains to be seen.
