Peoria Standard

Darin LaHood, representative for Illinois’ 16th Congressional District, said the country that takes the lead in artificial intelligence will shape the future of warfare, cybersecurity, and global economic power.

"American leadership in Al is critical," said LaHood, U.S. Representative of Illinois's 16th congressional district (R), according to Facebook. "Whoever is the leader in AI will dominate future warfare capabilities, cybersecurity, and wield unwavering economic influence. The Chips Security Act will prevent the CCP from exploiting American technology to support programs like DeepSeek that threaten US national security."

According to Congressman LaHood, who spoke with Sirius XM’s Julie Mason on the Julie Mason Show, stopping chip smuggling to China is crucial. He highlighted that high-capacity chips are vital in the strategic competition against China and that the Chip Safety Act aims to prevent these chips from reaching the Communist Chinese Party. LaHood noted that DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, has acquired U.S. chips through indirect means such as shell companies in Singapore. He said that the Chip Safety Act would help prevent such occurrences.

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood's May 27 Facebook post | U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood's Facebook page

The Chip Security Act proposes measures including location verification for advanced AI chips and mandatory reporting. It also seeks additional methods to prevent U.S. chips from being stolen or transferred to foreign adversaries. According to a press release from the Select Committee on the CCP, of which LaHood is a member, this legislation aims to maintain America's technological edge and protect jobs in semiconductor and related industries while ensuring American technology does not contribute to authoritarian regimes abroad.

In his own press release about the Chip Security Act, LaHood expressed concerns over the CCP's history of exploiting U.S. capital and intellectual property. He asserted that U.S. technology should not support CCP propaganda efforts.

Congressman Darin LaHood has served Illinois since 2015, initially representing the 18th Congressional District before redistricting placed him in the 16th District. His political career includes four years in the state senate and over nine years as a state and federal prosecutor. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois-Chicago John Marshall Law School.