Global Companies Block Chinese AI DeepSeek Over Data Leak Concerns

Jakarta - Hundreds of companies across various countries have prohibited their employees from using a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot named DeepSeek. This action arises from concerns about potential user data leaks.

Nadir Izrael, the Chief Technology Officer at Armis Inc, revealed that many firms, particularly those linked to government operations, have restricted access to DeepSeek due to fears of data breaches leading to the Chinese government.

Izrael indicated that around 70% of Armis’s clients have requested to block access to this AI chatbot.

"The primary concern is that data processed by this AI model could end up in Chinese government hands. There is no guarantee regarding the final destination of this information," said Izrael, as quoted in the Financial Post.

Similar reports have emerged from Netskope Inc, a security service provider that assists companies in managing employee access to specific websites. Approximately 52% of Netskope's clients have taken measures to block the Chinese AI DeepSeek.

Recently, the popularity of DeepSeek has surged, placing it at the top of the App Store and Play Store charts. However, this rise in use is accompanied by growing worries over data security, as the application retains user data on servers located in China. Many observers believe this increases the risk of data being accessed by local authorities.

DeepSeek has emerged as an alternative to other AI chatbots like ChatGPT, powered by a Chinese-developed V3 model. The application allows users to analyze documents, answer questions, and obtain information from the internet. Users can also upload files and synchronize conversation histories across devices.

While DeepSeek currently enjoys a dominant position in the chatbot AI market, to surpass OpenAI's ChatGPT in the long run, it needs to achieve 300 million active weekly users.

The Chinese AI DeepSeek has also garnered interest in the industry recently, with several startups, including Perplexity and Gloo (the latter owned by former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger), integrating DeepSeek into their systems.

AI, DeepSeek, Data