U.S. lawmakers are demanding answers from DoorDash about its use of Chinese artificial intelligence models, specifically Moonshot AI's Kimi K2.6, as concerns grow about American companies' dependence on AI systems developed by China. The House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a joint letter to the food delivery company requesting detailed information about how it evaluates and deploys Chinese AI systems.

What Prompted the Congressional Investigation?

The inquiry centers on a public post by DoorDash founder Andy Fang that revealed the company is using Kimi K2.6, developed by Moonshot AI, for lower-level AI work. According to DoorDash's AI research lab, Kimi K2.6 vastly outperformed other Anthropic models the company had tested, including Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.8, while costing significantly less. This cost advantage, combined with competitive performance, highlights why American companies are increasingly turning to Chinese alternatives despite national security concerns.

The timing of the investigation reflects broader anxiety in Washington about China's rapid progress in artificial intelligence. Moonshot AI released an open-weight model called Kimi K3 earlier this month that the company claims has largely closed the performance gap with leading U.S. models. An open-weight model can be downloaded, modified, and self-hosted by companies, making it more accessible and customizable than closed proprietary systems from OpenAI or Anthropic.

Why Are Lawmakers Concerned About Chinese AI Adoption?

The committees recognize that U.S. companies face genuine practical incentives to use Chinese models. According to the letter obtained by CNBC, these systems offer competitive capabilities, lower costs, greater customization, and alternatives to reliance on a small number of proprietary model providers. However, lawmakers argue that these business advantages do not eliminate national security risks.

"The Chinese Communist Party is no longer just nipping at our heels in artificial intelligence; it is racing to close the gap in some of the exact capabilities that will shape the future of cybersecurity. Recent reporting that a Chinese open-weight model can match leading U.S. models in certain vulnerability discovery and cybersecurity tasks is highly alarming," said Andrew Garbarino.

Andrew Garbarino, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security

The committees are particularly worried about what they see as a strategic vulnerability. If American companies become dependent on Chinese AI systems for critical functions, it could create leverage for the Chinese government and expose sensitive business operations to foreign oversight. The letter emphasized that "those practical considerations do not eliminate the need for risk-based safeguards or diminish the national security concerns associated with growing dependence on models developed by entities subject to PRC jurisdiction".

How Are Other U.S. Companies Responding to Chinese AI?

DoorDash is not alone in exploring Chinese AI alternatives. Tech executives from major companies have publicly advocated for using Chinese models to reduce costs. Brian Armstrong, CEO of crypto company Coinbase, and Flo Crivello, founder of AI startup Lindy, have both touted the benefits of Chinese systems. Meanwhile, some government departments have already banned the use of Chinese AI models like DeepSeek, creating a patchwork of policies across the federal government.

The congressional investigation also examined other companies. An initial step in the joint investigation involved sending letters to Cursor and Airbnb regarding their "use of or exposure to these risks" through Chinese-developed AI. This suggests the committees view the issue as industry-wide rather than isolated to DoorDash.

What Are the Key Factors Driving U.S. Company Adoption of Chinese AI?

• Cost Savings: Chinese open-weight models like Kimi K2.6 cost substantially less than proprietary U.S. alternatives from OpenAI and Anthropic, making them attractive for companies managing tight budgets.
• Performance Parity: Recent benchmarks show Chinese models matching or exceeding U.S. models on specific tasks like vulnerability discovery and cybersecurity work, eliminating the performance trade-off companies once faced.
• Customization Flexibility: Open-weight models can be downloaded and modified by companies, offering greater control than closed systems that rely on API access to proprietary providers.
• Reduced Vendor Lock-in: Using Chinese alternatives provides companies with options beyond the small number of U.S. frontier model providers, reducing dependence on any single vendor.

What Steps Are Lawmakers Proposing to Address the Challenge?

The committees are calling for a comprehensive federal strategy to strengthen American AI competitiveness. The letter stated that "an effective federal approach should therefore scrutinize U.S. companies' reliance on [People's Republic of China]-developed models and strengthen the availability, security, and competitiveness of American open-weight alternatives". A committee aide explained that lawmakers are examining "whether the United States has a sufficient open-weight AI strategy to ensure American companies and cyber defenders are not forced to choose between expensive or restricted U.S. models and cheap, capable PRC-developed alternatives".

This suggests future policy could focus on either making American open-weight models more competitive on cost and capability, or imposing restrictions on Chinese model adoption. The challenge is substantial: the most capable open-weight models available today are Chinese-made, while leading frontier models from OpenAI and Anthropic remain closed systems accessible only through paid APIs.

DoorDash responded to the inquiry by emphasizing its commitment to American AI leadership. A company spokesperson stated: "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". The company's response suggests it views the investigation as an opportunity to demonstrate responsible AI governance rather than a threat.

The investigation reflects a broader geopolitical competition over artificial intelligence dominance. Both the U.S. and China recognize AI as a critical technology that will shape economic and military capabilities for decades. As Chinese models improve and become more accessible, American policymakers face a difficult balancing act: protecting national security while avoiding policies that stifle innovation or impose unnecessary costs on American businesses.