US officials are investigating whether DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, acquired advanced semiconductors from Nvidia through intermediaries in Singapore, people familiar with the matter said.

The inquiry is focused on potential circumvention of US restrictions on chip sales for AI tasks.

DeepSeek recent chatbot launch, R1, and its earlier model, V3, reportedly used Nvidia’s H800 chips, which are restricted for sale to China.

Nvidia requires all customers to comply with relevant laws.

However, revenue attributed to Singapore does not necessarily indicate diversion to China, as the chips are often sent to other regions. Currently, Singapore accounts for about 20% of Nvidia’s revenue.

The FBI and the White House are involved in the investigation, while DeepSeek has not responded.

This case highlights ongoing tensions over US semiconductor restrictions on China’s AI advancement.