Modi government to issue advisory against using DeepSeek's AI tool
What's the story
The Indian government is gearing up to issue an advisory against the use of Chinese firm DeepSeek's artificial intelligence (AI) tool.
The move comes amid rising concerns over possible data privacy violations and cyber espionage risks posed by the technology.
A detailed investigation into these threats has been carried out by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's supervision.
Investigation insights
Data collection capabilities raise concerns
According to The Economic Times, CERT-In's investigation centered on the possible harm to Indian citizens using DeepSeek's generative AI app on their devices.
The probe found that DeepSeek could track user behavior based on chatbot prompts, device data like battery usage, interactions with other apps, and even keystrokes.
A senior government official raised concerns over these findings, stressing the need for caution while using such tools.
Data accountability
Data storage practices questioned
Another official emphasized India's unease with granting China access to its citizens' data, given the absence of accountability in storage practices.
The official explained that DeepSeek collects data in three forms: user prompts, automatically collected information, and information from other sources.
This wide-ranging data collection can even monitor actions like uninstallation of rival apps or decreased usage of certain services.
Misinformation threat
Potential for spreading misinformation
Apart from data privacy, there are also fears that its conversational AI bot could be used to spread misinformation and manipulate political discourse.
This potential misuse of technology further complicates the ongoing debate on its safety.
The Indian government's upcoming advisory is likely to address these issues and provide guidance on safe technology use.
International response
Global backlash against DeepSeek
The backlash against DeepSeek isn't restricted to India.
Countries such as Italy and Australia, along with US federal agencies, have already banned the use of this tool on official devices over similar concerns.
In January, the Union Finance Ministry issued an internal advisory, warning about the risks AI applications pose to the security of sensitive government information when used on office computers and devices.