Microsoft has supported the integration of Chinese AI app DeepSeek into its products such as Azure, but the company cites data vulnerabilities and Chinese propaganda as the reason it prohibits employees from using it. The app is also banned from its app store.

During a Senate hearing on the AI race between the United States and China, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith cited risks of the "data going back to China and the app creating the kinds of content that people would say are associated with Chinese propaganda,” per a media report.

In a post published Thursday about winning the AI race, Smith did not mention banning DeepSeek to Microsoft employees, but he did provide details on strategies to outcompete with nations such as China.

“The United States must accelerate strategic investments in scientific research for future technologies,” Smith wrote. “Experts predict China will continue to invest substantial resources in next-generation technologies such as AI, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, quantum computing, and semiconductors over the next decade.”

Winning the AI race could come down to learning how to play the data game. Smith recommends that the U.S. ensure that public data remains open and accessible because data fuels powerful AI.

“The quality, quantity, and accessibility of data directly determines the strength and sophistication of AI models,” Smith wrote. “While the internet has been a major source of training data, the federal government remains one of the largest untapped sources of high-quality and high-volume data.”

Much of these datasets is either inaccessible or not usable for AI development. The exact type of data that Smith is asking to be made available was not specified, but he did suggest that the United States could significantly accelerate the advancement of AI capabilities, driving innovation and discovery, if the U.S. government opened the doors.

“Opening access to these datasets would allow for the analysis of themes, patterns, and insights across broad datasets, propelling the country to the forefront of global AI development,” he wrote, suggesting that accessible public data levels the playing field because it empowers companies, from large enterprises to startups, academic institutions, and nonprofits to train and refine AI models.

Smith also advocated for skilling the American workforce, encouraging AI adoption, and "urgently" called on U.S. President Trump to create a "national policy that provides the right balance of export controls and trade support for these investments."