By Mateusz Rabiega and Paolo Laudani in Gdansk
June 27 (Reuters)
The way Artificial Intelligence is growing, we now have the most common OpenAI called ChatGPT and now DeepSeek. DeepSeek is a Chinese AI platform that was said to want to overpower ChatGPT with lower rates. However, today we speak of a platform and an App that has been disapproved by a number of people, governments, and nations because of safety issues. China, because of its high IQ with technology and how it can break through and access information, may feel unsafe with using DeepSeek, as insecurities resurfaced recently.
DeepSeek, an untrusted platform that everyone is against
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which said in January it had developed an AI model to rival ChatGPT at a much lower cost, has come under scrutiny in some countries for its security policies and privacy practices. According to its own privacy policy, DeepSeek stores numerous pieces of personal data, such as requests to its AI program or uploaded files, on computers in China.
It looks like this app from China will not be able to win the battle because many are against it. Countries that are against DeepSeek and have decided to take action:
Australia, Germany, and India
AUSTRALIA
In early February, Australia banned DeepSeek from all government devices over concerns that it posed security risks.
GERMANY
Germany has asked Apple AAPL.O and Google GOOGL.O to remove DeepSeek from their stores due to concerns about data safety, a data protection authority commissioner said in June.
INDIA
India’s finance ministry asked its employees at the beginning of February to avoid using AI tools, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, for official purposes, citing risks posed to the confidentiality of government documents and data.
Italy, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands, and the United States
ITALY
Italy’s antitrust watchdog AGCM said in mid-June that it had opened an investigation into DeepSeek for allegedly failing to warn users that it may produce false information. In January, it blocked the app, citing a lack of information on its use of personal data.
RUSSIA
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in early February instructed Sberbank to collaborate with Chinese researchers on joint AI projects, a top executive at Russia’s biggest bank told Reuters.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea’s data protection authority said in mid-February that new downloads of the DeepSeek app had been suspended in the country after the startup acknowledged failing to take into account some of the agency’s rules on protecting personal data. Earlier in February, the industry minister had temporarily blocked employee access to DeepSeek due to security concerns. The service became available again at the end of April.
TAIWAN
Taiwan in February banned government departments from using DeepSeek’s service, as it saw it as a security risk. It also raised concerns about censorship on DeepSeek and the risk of data ending up in China.
NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog at the end of January said it would launch an investigation into Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek’s data collection practices and urged Dutch users to exercise caution with the company’s software. The government has also banned civil servants from using the app, citing policy regarding countries with an offensive cyber program, the government spokesperson said in late July.
UNITED STATES
The Trump administration is weighing penalties that would block DeepSeek from buying U.S. technology and is debating barring Americans’ access to its services, the New York Times reported in April. Angela Zhang, a law professor at the University of Southern California who specialises in Chinese regulation, said, “Data security concerns are always a critical issue when using AI chatbots, and this is not unique to DeepSeek.” No one wants their personal information to be leaked everywhere, especially sensitive government data.
GCN.com/Reuters.