Viral ‘Kimi AI’ is built on stolen technology, Trump tech advisor claims

July 23, 2026 - 22:41

A prominent technology advisor to former President Donald Trump has leveled a serious accusation against the popular Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot known as Kimi AI, claiming the platform was built using stolen intellectual property. The charge adds fresh fuel to the already intense rivalry between the United States and China over dominance in the artificial intelligence sector.

The advisor, whose name has not been disclosed in the initial report, stated that the core technology behind Kimi AI appears to be derived from proprietary research developed by American firms. He argued that the rapid rise of the chatbot, which went viral for its advanced conversational abilities, should be viewed with skepticism rather than admiration. "This is not innovation. This is appropriation," he was quoted as saying.

Kimi AI, developed by the Chinese startup Moonshot AI, gained widespread attention earlier this year for its ability to process extremely long texts and maintain coherent dialogue over extended sessions. Its success was seen as a sign of China's growing capability in generative AI, challenging the dominance of U.S. models like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.

The accusation comes at a time when Washington and Beijing are locked in a fierce contest for technological supremacy, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. The U.S. government has imposed export controls on advanced semiconductors and AI-related hardware, aiming to slow China's progress. In response, Chinese companies have accelerated their own development efforts, often claiming breakthroughs in efficiency and application.

Neither Moonshot AI nor the Chinese government has officially responded to the claim. However, industry analysts note that proving such allegations in court would be difficult, as AI models are often trained on vast datasets and can share structural similarities without direct copying. The debate highlights the growing tension between open innovation and national security concerns in the global AI race.