Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Dutch officials have been prohibited from using the Chinese chatbot DeepSeek, following similar restrictions in South Korea for government employees, Azernews reports.

The decision was made by Zsolt Szabo, the State Secretary for Digitalization and Relations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. According to Szabo, the chatbot poses a significant "vulnerability to espionage."

In some institutions, access to DeepSeek has been completely blocked, while certain authorities have gone as far as prohibiting the use of any AI models, including ChatGPT. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) recently issued a warning, urging users to be "very careful and prudent" when using DeepSeek.

The South Korean government has also banned the use of DeepSeek. According to Reuters, access to government officials' work computers was blocked after the Chinese AI startup failed to respond to questions regarding how it manages user information. South Korea sought assurances on how DeepSeek protects user data.

Earlier this week, the South Korean government issued a warning to ministries and agencies, urging caution when using AI services such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT for official work.

Similar bans have been enacted in several countries, including Italy, Australia, India, the United States, and Japan, all due to concerns about the security of user information when using DeepSeek.

DeepSeek, which launched its new chatbot last month, claimed that its technology allows for more efficient operations at a lower cost compared to its American counterparts. However, growing concerns about data security have led to increasing skepticism about its use, especially in government and sensitive sectors.

As the global reliance on AI continues to rise, the debate over data security, privacy, and the potential risks posed by AI models will likely remain a major focus. Countries are weighing the benefits of AI-driven efficiencies against the potential national security threats posed by the misuse of user data, prompting heightened scrutiny of international AI services.