U.S. lawmakers request information from DoorDash on use of Chinese AI models

U.S. lawmakers have requested data from food delivery firm DoorDash regarding its utilization of Chinese artificial intelligence models, according to a CNBC report. The chairmen of two House committees, tasked with investigating the security implications of U.S. companies employing Chinese AI models, have written to DoorDash seeking information and documents related to its evaluation and deployment of AI systems from China.

DoorDash has stated that it supports American AI leadership and aims to ensure the technology benefits local businesses, not just the biggest corporations. The company is prepared to cooperate with the committees on how it responsibly utilizes AI, including American-designed and open-weight models. The ongoing scrutiny over American businesses utilizing Chinese AI systems has prompted calls for strategies to address the issue, including a joint investigation by the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

The letter to DoorDash cited a post by DoorDash founder Andy Fang on social media platform X, revealing that the company is outsourcing lower-level AI tasks to a Chinese AI model called Kimi K2.6, developed by Moonshot AI. While acknowledging practical considerations that may lead U.S. companies to evaluate and deploy Chinese-developed models for cost, customization and alternative options to relying on a few proprietary model providers, the committees emphasized the need for risk-based safeguards and noted the national security concerns associated with growing reliance on models developed by entities under Chinese jurisdiction.