AI Supremacy at the Price of Privacy: Examining the Tech Giants' Race for Data Dominance

Abstract

The emergence of powerful AI models like DeepSeek, quen 2.5 Max and ChatGPT built by Chinese and American tech giants has sparked a geopolitical race for technological supremacy. This paper examines the overlooked impact this rivalry has on consumer privacy. Through an analysis of privacy policies and government actions, it explores how the quest for AI dominance overrides data protection concerns. The findings show that DeepSeek, ChatGPT, Facebook and other major AI systems harvest expansive personal information from users, including emails, browsing history, and keyboard patterns. However, DeepSeek faces greater public scrutiny as a Chinese model, despite evidence that American alternatives collect similar data. Statements from Beijing and Washington reveal nationalist AI agendas prioritizing economic and military ascendancy over privacy. An assessment of existing literature corroborates how geostrategic technology competitions historically neglect consumer rights. With both nations focused on nurturing their AI champions, citizens’ data access and consent protections have been absent from policy debates. This analysis demonstrates that in the bid for cutting-edge innovations, tech companies are essentially given free rein to mine user information. While rhetoric targets DeepSeek as a data threat, the reality is that consumer privacy is disregarded across the board. As competitors rush to train ever-larger models on more data, user rights are sidelined. Without interventions, this AI arms race is set to massively amplify tech giants’ intrusive data collection and surveillance capabilities. There is an urgent need for policies balancing innovation aspirations with personal protections. In conclusion, the USChina AI rivalry has profoundly negative implications for individual privacy. For the American and Chinese regimes and their AI crown jewels alike, accumulation of citizen data takes undisputed precedence over ethical considerations. As this paper argues, geopolitical posturing distorts the discourse around data harvesting. What is portrayed as a DeepSeek issue applies universally across profit-driven tech behemoths. Corrective measures placing privacy on par with progress are essential to secure consumer rights in this new era of AI