Microsoft employees join the list of those banned from using DeepSeek

• Chinese chatbot DeepSeek is banned for Microsoft employees
• Security and propaganda concerns cited by Microsoft
• Government agencies have also banned the model

In a Senate hearing addressing US AI capabilities, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft Brad Smith has revealed the company's employees are not permitted to use the DeepSeek app.

Citing data security and propaganda concerns, Smith noted Microsoft also does not offer DeepSeek in its app store, arguing there is a risk user data will be stored in China and that DeepSeek’s responses to user enquiries could be influenced by “Chinese propaganda.”

Multiple government agencies have also banned the controversial AI model, including the US Department of Commerce and US Navy - and the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act” could soon see this expanded even further.

Security risks

AI models such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT have been criticized for being a bit of a privacy nightmare, especially given the information users feed into the chatbots - and the personal data that the models collect and store.

The US Congress specifically described DeepSeek as a “profound threat” to national security and privacy, collecting vast amounts of data including "chat history, device details, and even the way a person types."

"Closer inspection reveals that the app siphons data back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), creates security vulnerabilities for its users, and relies on a model that covertly censors and manipulates information pursuant to Chinese law," the Congress report outlined.

DeepSeek’s privacy policy confirms it does store data on Chinese servers, and the data is subject to Chinese law, which does ensure co-operation with Chinese intelligence agencies.

The model also heavily censors topics sensitive to Chinese security.

The chatbot also suffered a significant data breach, which exposed over a million records and fed into the concerns about AI models and the management and protection of user information.

Via TechCrunch

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best malware removal software around
• Check out our choice for best AI tools out there
• Generative AI isn't biting into wages, replacing workers, and isn't saving time, economists say