ChatGPT, DeepSeek banned on govt devices in Finance Ministry - Potential data risks highlighted
The Finance Ministry has issued a directive to its officers, instructing them not to download or use AI tools and applications, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, on official computers and devices due to potential risks to data confidentiality. In a communication sent last month to all departments, the ministry emphasized that the use of AI tools and apps in office systems should be strictly avoided.
The Department of Expenditure, under the ministry, issued a note on January 29, which read, "It has been determined that AI tools and AI apps (such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek etc) in the office computers and devices pose risks for confidentiality of Govt, data, and documents."
Global Concerns and Reactions
This move follows concerns raised globally over the security and privacy of official data, with countries like Australia and Italy shielding their systems from Chinese AI tool DeepSeek amid growing data safety concerns. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT, is currently on a tour of India. During his visit, he has met with top government officials, industry leaders, and participated in various discussions.
The DeepSeek's latest AI offering has drawn global attention for its low-cost model, which stands at just USD 6 million against the global average of billions of dollars. Notably, DeepSeek's R1 uses a fraction of compute power as compared to established AI models like ChatGPT.
DeepSeek managed to overtake ChatGPT as the top-ranked free app on Apple's Appstore, causing astonishment within the US tech industry, which has long justified injecting billions of dollars into AI investments.
