DeepSeek, a low-cost AI chatbot, has caused a stir in the global AI industry due to its capabilities and its Chinese origins. Governments and security agencies worldwide are raising concerns about potential security risks, data privacy violations, and the possibility of espionage. Several countries, including Australia, the Netherlands, South Korea, and the United States, have restricted or banned access to DeepSeek on government devices and networks.
What are the main concerns, how big of a factor is geopolitics, and what are the implications for global AI and tech?
The government's chief information officer has said the move will ensure networks and data remain secure and protected. He said the agency in charge of the government's IT network has already restricted DeepSeek on all supported devices, with other departments urged to follow suit.Dutch media has reported that civil servants have been banned from using DeepSeek for work, over fears of sensitive information ending up on Chinese servers.
On Monday, the state of New York banned DeepSeek on government devices, citing “serious concerns” over cyber threats, data privacy and safety as well as state-sponsored censorship.DeepSeek stores user information from its cloud-hosted models on servers within China, according to its privacy policy. Cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks also found that presently, DeepSeek is"highly vulnerable" to various jailbreaking techniques, and it's easier to bypass its safety mechanisms, according to vice president Philippa Cogswell.
There are valid security concerns regardless of the country of origin of any AI tool or LLM, said Mr Benjamin Ang, a senior fellow at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies think-tank. "Companies that are happy with Chinese offerings are going to go with those, and we're going to see Western offerings countries not ," said Dr Walsh.RSIS research fellow for future issues and technology Dr Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano said that rather than viewing DeepSeek as"merely" a Chinese company, one must also approach it as a technology startup trying to make it by challenging industry giants, mainly from the US.
This includes monitoring AI usage, restricting unauthorised access and implementing safeguards to prevent data leaks and manipulation.
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