US Lawmakers Seek DoorDash AI Usage Details

U.S. lawmakers have initiated a formal inquiry into DoorDash’s utilization of artificial intelligence models originating from China, as regulatory scrutiny intensifies around American businesses’ engagement with AI systems developed by the People’s Republic of China. This development signals a growing concern in Washington over the national security implications of relying on foreign-developed AI technologies.

In a letter obtained by CNBC, the chairmen of two House Select Committees, currently spearheading a joint investigation into the security risks associated with U.S. companies adopting Chinese AI models, have formally requested that DoorDash provide comprehensive “information and documents” pertaining to its evaluation and implementation of AI systems sourced from China. This request underscores a proactive approach by Congress to understand the landscape of AI supply chains and potential vulnerabilities.

A DoorDash spokesperson emphasized the company’s commitment to domestic AI innovation: “DoorDash proudly supports American AI leadership and is working to ensure AI benefits Main Street, not just the biggest companies. We look forward to engaging with the Committees on how we safely and responsibly use AI, including American-developed frontier models and open-weight models.” This statement aims to reassure lawmakers and the public about DoorDash’s strategic AI direction.

The escalating adoption of AI models developed in China has catalyzed a surge in calls from U.S. legislators for robust strategies to counter this trend. A prime example is the ongoing investigation by the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, which is actively examining the broader implications of this technological reliance.

As an initial step in this bipartisan probe, the chairmen of these committees dispatched letters to prominent technology and service companies, including Cursor and Airbnb, to ascertain their “use of or exposure to these risks” stemming from AI technologies developed in China. This broad outreach indicates a systemic concern that extends beyond a single sector.

The inquiry was particularly prompted by a detailed post on X by Andy Fang, which illuminated DoorDash’s practice of delegating certain lower-level AI tasks to Kimi K2.6, a Chinese AI model developed by Moonshot AI. This revelation brought to light the specific mechanisms through which U.S. companies might be integrating Chinese AI capabilities.

DoorDash’s AI research division had previously shared on X that its internal assessments indicated Kimi K2.6, alongside Anthropic’s Fable 5, demonstrated superior performance compared to other Anthropic models they had utilized, including “Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.8, at a cheaper cost.” This highlights the economic and performance drivers behind the appeal of certain Chinese AI models.

The letter