U.S. Bans Federal Agencies from Using Chinese DeepSeek AI Over National Security Concerns
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to stop purchasing and remove products or services developed by the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek due to national security concerns. The directive includes third-party tools that incorporate DeepSeek technology, though exceptions can be requested. DHS warned that user data processed through these systems could potentially become accessible to Chinese authorities under local laws. This action is part of a broader U.S.-China tech rivalry in the AI sector and follows prior restrictions on DeepSeek’s use within national security systems. China has criticized the move, calling it an overreach of national security concerns and vowing to protect its companies' interests. Meanwhile, reports suggest that China may impose export controls on 23 advanced AI-related technologies. The U.S. also accused DeepSeek and other Chinese firms like Alibaba and Moonshot AI of using model distillation techniques to extract data from American systems. OpenAI and Anthropic have separately raised concerns about similar practices by DeepSeek, which has drawn global regulatory scrutiny since its R1 reasoning model launched in January 2025.
Topics: AI China-U.S. tech rivalry DeepSeek U.S. government regulation
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Part of the story DHS Bans DeepSeek AI from US Civilian Agencies (4 articles)