US bans use of China’s DeepSeek by govt agencies

On Monday, the United States government issued an order mandating its agencies to discontinue the use of artificial intelligence tools developed by Chinese startup DeepSeek. This directive follows the country's ongoing race for dominance in the rapidly evolving AI sector. The Department of Homeland Security announced the ban in a notice, specifying that products created by DeepSeek and any tools derived from them must be removed from all IT devices.

While the department has the authority to issue such directives to civilian agencies, it cannot instruct the military or intelligence services.

The ban was prompted by concerns that DeepSeek's models could pose significant threats, potentially leading to the transfer of sensitive data to China if utilized by U.S. government employees or vendors. The department emphasized that DeepSeek's servers are located in China, a country known for its extensive legal authority to access private company infrastructure. The Associated Press (AFP) sought comment from DeepSeek regarding the matter.