Historical Echo: When Innovation Becomes 'Theft'—The Pattern Behind OpenAI vs. DeepSeek
![empty formal interior, natural lighting through tall windows, wood paneling, institutional architecture, sense of history and permanence, marble columns, high ceilings, formal furniture, muted palette, a half-burned blueprint unfurling on marble steps, charred edges curling into ash, inked lines showing loom mechanisms merging with neural net schematics, backlit by dawn light through towering arched windows, silence heavy in the air of an abandoned legislative chamber [Bria Fibo]](https://081x4rbriqin1aej.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/viral-images/1c2a2c9b-f14b-4d04-b3ec-f8e9b7f8e2e0_viral_2_square.png "empty formal interior, natural lighting through tall windows, wood paneling, institutional architecture, sense of history and permanence, marble columns, high ceilings, formal furniture, muted palette, a half-burned blueprint unfurling on marble steps, charred edges curling into ash, inked lines showing loom mechanisms merging with neural net schematics, backlit by dawn light through towering arched windows, silence heavy in the air of an abandoned legislative chamber [Bria Fibo]")
If model distillation becomes the dominant pathway to AI advancement, then the definition of fair competition will shift toward those who refine and redistribute fastest, not those who first invented.
In 1815, British engineers smuggled industrial loom designs into the United States, defying export bans—acts condemned as theft, yet celebrated decades later as the foundation of American manufacturing. Fast forward to 2026, and OpenAI accuses DeepSeek of 'distilling' its AI models, calling it unfair competition. But isn't this just the latest chapter in a 200-year saga of innovation through imitation? The truth is uncomfortable: every technological leap—from steam engines to semiconductors—has been built on what someone else called 'theft.' What we label 'piracy' today often becomes 'progress' tomorrow. The real pattern isn't malice or morality—it's momentum. And momentum always flows toward those who can replicate, refine, and redistribute fastest [Bloomberg.com, 2026].
—Marcus Ashworth
Published February 13, 2026