U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill aimed at banning the import and export of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies between the United States and China. The document, called Decoupling America's Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act, is aimed at protecting national security and intellectual property.

Although the bill does not directly mention the Chinese company DeepSeek, its provisions may actually make downloading this AI chatbot illegal. In case of violation, users face fines of up to $1 million, and companies — up to $ 100 million. It also provides for the revocation of licenses and contracts with government agencies.

Hawley said that every dollar invested in Chinese AI is "working against the United States." If the law is passed, American companies will not be able to conduct AI research in China, cooperate with Chinese partners, or invest in local developments.

Experts and representatives of the technology industry have already criticized the bill. Ben Brooks of the Harvard AI Research Center called it a "blow to open technology," and Andy Airey, creator of the Truth Terminal chatbot, noted that the law would only slow down the development of Western AI.

Previously, DeepSeek AI had already been blocked in Italy due to problems with data processing. Now the United States can go even further and completely ban the use of Chinese AI on its territory.