(Reuters) -Microsoft and OpenAI are investigating whether data output from OpenAI's technology was obtained in an unauthorized manner by a group linked to Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.
Microsoft's security researchers in the fall observed individuals they believe may be linked to DeepSeek exfiltrating a large amount of data using the OpenAI's application programming interface (API), the report said.
OpenAI's API is the main way that software developers and business customers buy OpenAI's services.
Microsoft, an OpenAI backer, notified the ChatGPT maker of suspicious activity, the Bloomberg report said.
Microsoft, which declined to comment to Bloomberg, and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters email for comment outside regular business hours. DeepSeek could not be immediately reached for comment.
Low-cost Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, an alternative to U.S. rivals, sparked a tech stock selloff on Monday as its free AI assistant overtook OpenAI's ChatGPT on Apple's App Store in the United States.
(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Savio D'Souza)
