US government website used Chinese model the FBI called "malicious"

A U.S. government website, the Federal Register, was found to be utilizing an AI model developed by the Chinese technology giant Alibaba, despite recent accusations from the FBI that Alibaba had engaged in "malicious" copying of AI technology from U.S. rival Anthropic. The search tool, powered by Alibaba's Qwen AI model, was available on the Federal Register's website, which is operated by the National Archives, before being taken down around the same time social media posts drew attention to its use in September 2026. This revelation emerged shortly after U.S. officials claimed Chinese AI companies were involved in "malicious" and "industrial-scale" copying of American technology. While AI experts suggested the use of the Chinese tool might not have posed national security risks, it raised questions about the federal government's consistency in its stance on Chinese AI models. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington stated that the allegations of copying were "unfounded."