Impact on the broader AI ecosystem
The fact that the Order also addressed third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations is important, Avakian said, because organizations may be using DeepSeek technologies indirectly, through vendors, software platforms, or other services, without necessarily knowing what’s operating underneath. “These are classic supply chain issues,” he observed.
It’s no longer enough to know which AI applications employees are using; enterprises must understand which models, frameworks, dependencies, and external services are embedded in products they’re purchasing and deploying, Avakian said. This means revisiting AI inventories, potentially updating procurement requirements, and expanding processes around third-party risk management, he advised.
“Ultimately, enterprises leveraging these tools need to understand not only the AI technologies they’re intentionally deploying, but also the technologies they’re inheriting through third parties,” he said.
