US Government Site Used Alibaba’s Qwen

The US government’s Federal Register website, which is administered by the National Archives, used Alibaba’s Chinese Qwen AI model to search proposed federal regulations.

The tool was available alongside other search options but was removed the same day, around the time its use began attracting attention on social media.

Last week, US authorities accused Alibaba of using technology from American AI company Anthropic to develop its own models. The case has therefore raised questions about the government’s use of Chinese AI amid Washington’s tougher stance toward the technology.

Security experts noted, however, that Qwen’s use may not have posed an immediate risk because the Federal Register handles publicly available information.

The key question is whether the data remained within US government infrastructure or was processed on systems controlled by Alibaba.

(Reuters, mja)