# Researchers allege DeepSeek, Kimi, and other Chinese AI models were trained using banned Nvidia Blackwell GPUs

Source: [Latest from Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/researchers-allege-deepseek-kimi-and-other-chinese-ai-models-were-trained-on-export-controlled-nvidia-blackwell-chips-statistical-analysis-on-model-weights-reveals-high-correlation-to-nvidia-hardware) · 2026-11-14 · Industry
Page: https://themorning.dev/story/researchers-allege-deepseek-kimi-and-other-chinese-ai-models-were-trained-using-aa65033692fb6eff
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- Researchers allege that DeepSeek, Kimi and other Chinese AI models were trained using Nvidia Blackwell GPUs that U.S. export controls ban from China.
- The allegation rests on statistical analysis of model weights, which the researchers say shows a high correlation with Nvidia hardware.
- The article notes that Blackwell chips reaching China despite export restrictions is widely regarded in the industry as an open secret.

## Why it matters

If the allegation holds, it raises provenance and export-compliance questions for developers who use or depend on these Chinese models, and it highlights how hard U.S. chip export controls are to enforce.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-14: Researchers' allegation reported by Tom's Hardware

## Coverage

- [Researchers allege DeepSeek, Kimi, and other Chinese AI models were trained using banned Nvidia Blackwell GPUs](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/researchers-allege-deepseek-kimi-and-other-chinese-ai-models-were-trained-on-export-controlled-nvidia-blackwell-chips-statistical-analysis-on-model-weights-reveals-high-correlation-to-nvidia-hardware) — Latest from Tom's Hardware, 2026-11-14

Tags: ai, export-controls, nvidia, blackwell, china, model-training

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