US Senator Josh Hawley has introduced legislation prohibiting the import and export of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to and from China, citing national security concerns.
The Republican senator introduced the Decoupling America’s Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act 2025 to the Senate last week (Jan 29).
Hawley’s proposed bill seeks to ban Chinese AI technology and any components required to build the technology (exports and imports) from the US.
If the bill becomes law, it will prohibit individual Americans and US companies from downloading AI models such as DeepSeek R1. It could result in prison sentences of up to 20 years and fines of $1 million for individuals and $100 million for companies.
Downloading DeepSeek R1 would be illegal under the proposed bill
Hawley asserts that every dollar and data set invested in Chinese AI strengthens a rival power, urging the US to protect its “economic superiority” by limiting China’s access to American innovation.
In a statement on his website, the senator said: “Every dollar and gigabyte of data that flows into Chinese AI are dollars and data that will ultimately be used against the United States.”
Read more: Australia bans DeepSeek AI over security risks: government crackdown expands
“America cannot afford to empower our greatest adversary at the expense of our own strength. Ensuring American economic superiority means cutting China off from American ingenuity and halting the subsidisation of CCP innovation.”
Although Hawley doesn’t mention China’s lower-cost AI model DeepSeek-R1 by name, its launch last month sparked concern among Big Tech companies and saw US tech stocks plummet.
In short, Hawley claims the act would prohibit the import from or export to China of artificial intelligence technology, prohibit US companies from conducting AI research in China or in cooperation with Chinese companies, and prohibit US firms from investing money in Chinese AI development.
Industry response to Josh Hawley’s China AI Restriction: “Aggressive legislation”
According to Harvard AI research fellow Ben Brooks, the measure is “easily the most aggressive legislative action on AI” to date.
Brooks, who also served as the head of public policy for Stability AI, added that the bill would set back US research and decouple the rest of the world from the US.
“Congress just tabled a bill that would actually kill open-source,” he added.
At the annual open-source event, State of Open Con 2025, held earlier this week in London, Amanda Brock, the CEO of Open Source UK, told TechInformed: “I’m against this bill. I think we should be focussing on global collaboration. That’s how we innovate best, and it’s not something that’s good for society or innovation.”
Amanda Brock, OpenUK
Guy Podjamy, founder and CEO of Tessi, doubted US financial power could deter collaboration and criticised past failures and uncertain government actions.
“Does the US have sufficient financial force to deter people from collaborating? It probably does, yes, but will it change the result? Probably not.
“It’s an understandable response that has probably come from the same place as the US Chip restrictions, which ultimately failed. I’m curious to see where the government gets with this. It’s probably the most unpredictable government we’ve ever had, so we’ll see.
“The reality is that the UK and other countries can make whatever decisions they want. It doesn’t seem like a viable long-term solution.”
