Why Finance Ministry banned using ChatGPT, DeepSeek for official work
What's the story
The Ministry of Finance has issued an advisory, warning its employees against using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official purposes.
The warning comes as the tools could risk the confidentiality of government documents and data.
The ban on the AI tools took place during OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's visit to India today, where he met IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Reason
Why is Altman visiting India?
Altman's meeting comes as India is making rapid strides in artificial intelligence through its newly launched IndiaAI Mission. The project has been allotted ₹10,371 crore over five years by the government.
AI strategy
India's ambitious plans for AI development
In light of DeepSeek's growing popularity, Vaishnaw announced India's plans to enter the global AI race with its own foundational model.
He said, "The foundational models made in India will be able to compete with the best of the best in the world."
He also hinted that data privacy concerns associated with DeepSeek could be solved by hosting open-source models on Indian servers.
Privacy concerns
DeepSeek under global scrutiny for privacy concerns
That said, DeepSeek is already under investigation by the Dutch privacy watchdog AP, over its privacy policies and use of users' personal information.
The app has been banned in Italy due to unresolved privacy concerns raised by the country's data protection authority.
Similarly, Australia has prohibited DeepSeek from all government devices over similar issues.