South Korea has taken steps to limit access to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, due to concerns about its data handling practices. The Korean government has blocked DeepSeek on government and military work computers.
South Korea n authorities are taking steps to limit access to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, after the company failed to respond to requests for information about its data practices. DeepSeek, which claims to rival US AI leaders in performance at a fraction of the cost, has sparked concerns in South Korea and other countries regarding its handling of user information.
Ministers and police confirmed on Thursday that they were implementing measures to restrict access to DeepSeek on government and military work computers, particularly those connected to the internet. The Ministry of National Defense, responsible for overseeing troops deployed against North Korea, announced that it had implemented security precautions and reiterated guidelines regarding the use of generative AI by each unit and soldier, citing both security and technical concerns.The Ministry of Trade also confirmed that it had blocked access to DeepSeek due to the company's lack of response to the Personal Information Protection Commission's inquiry. The Ministry of Finance stated that it had implemented measures to prevent the leakage of personal and confidential information to DeepSeek for all employees. Professor Kim Jong-hwa from Cheju Halla University's artificial intelligence department suggested that political factors, amidst escalating US-China rivalry, could be influencing the response to DeepSeek. However, he maintained that the bans were justified, citing security concerns associated with AI models like ChatGPT, which remain largely unaddressed. He expressed doubts about China's commitment to security issues compared to companies like OpenAI, given the country's communist regime.The South Korean government's move comes as the country doubles down on its investments in semiconductors and high-tech industries. Acting President Choi Sang-mok acknowledged the emergence of DeepSeek R1, a high-performance, low-cost AI model, stating that the global AI competition might shift from a simple infrastructure race to a more complex landscape encompassing software capabilities and other factors. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, major suppliers of AI server chips, are at the forefront of this technological race. The government's recent announcement of a 34 trillion won (US$23.5 billion) investment in these sectors underscores its commitment to staying competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape
AI Deepseek South Korea Data Privacy Security Concerns Generative AI
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