US Commerce Department bans Chinese AI model DeepSeek on government devices

The US Department of Commerce has recently notified its staff across various bureaus that the Chinese artificial intelligence model, DeepSeek, is now prohibited on all government devices.

The department issued a mass email to employees, stressing the need to maintain secure information systems, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"To help keep Department of Commerce information systems safe, access to the new Chinese-based AI DeepSeek is broadly prohibited on all GFE," the email read. "Do not download, view, access any applications, desktop apps, or websites related to DeepSeek." The Department of Commerce has not yet responded to requests for additional comment.

DeepSeek, known for its low-cost AI models, caused a stir in January when it triggered a significant selloff in global equity markets. The selloff was driven by concerns from investors about the potential risks to the US technological leadership in artificial intelligence. US government officials and members of Congress have raised concerns about the risks DeepSeek poses to data privacy and the protection of sensitive government information.

These concerns prompted Congressmen Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood, both members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to introduce legislation in February aimed at banning DeepSeek from government devices. Earlier this month, the two lawmakers also sent letters to US governors urging them to take steps to block the Chinese AI model from government-issued equipment. 

"By using DeepSeek, users are unknowingly sharing highly sensitive, proprietary information with the CCP — such as contracts, documents, and financial records," the congressmen wrote in a letter dated March 3. "In the wrong hands, this data is an enormous asset to the CCP, a known foreign adversary." Several states, including Virginia, Texas, and New York, have already prohibited DeepSeek on government devices, and a coalition of 21 state attorneys general has called on Congress to pass national legislation addressing the growing concern.

By Naila Huseynova