Australia has banned the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup, on all government devices and systems, citing potential security risks. This decision underscores growing concerns about the use of Chinese technology within government infrastructure.
DeepSeek gained rapid global attention in January with the launch of a chatbot that rivaled US competitors in performance while boasting significantly lower training costs. Its emergence caused ripples across international stock markets, including Australia, where AI-related stocks like chipmaker Brainchip experienced sharp declines.
The Australian government is however, reiterating that the ban is not motivated by DeepSeek’s Chinese origins but rather by the “unacceptable risk” it poses to national security. The specific details of this risk have not been publicly disclosed, but it is pointing to concerns about data access, surveillance, or potential influence.
DeepSeek Ban: Its Impact on Australian Government Operations
The ban mandates that all Australian government entities “prevent the use or installation of DeepSeek products, applications, and web services” and remove any existing installations from government systems and devices. This broad mandate impacts a wide range of government workers, from those at the Australian Electoral Commission to the Bureau of Meteorology.
While the ban mainly targets government devices, it is still unclear whether it extends to public sector computers in areas like schools or other sectors of the economy.
The ban however, does not apply to devices owned by private citizens. Individuals in Australia are still free to use DeepSeek’s products and services, although they are increasingly subject to scrutiny.
Australia’s action follows a pattern of Western countries expressing their security concerns about Chinese technology. This worry also extends to
restrictions placed on telecoms giant Huawei and social media platform TikTok. These moves highlight ongoing tensions and anxieties surrounding data security and foreign influence.
The Inherent Risks and Security Concerns on AI Data Collection Practices
Like other AI tools, DeepSeek analyzes user prompts to improve its product. This data collection practice, common to platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, raises inherent risks. While all these platforms gather information such as email addresses and birthdays, security experts have warned about the potential for sensitive or confidential data entered into chatbots to be stored and analyzed by developers, making it a potential vulnerability in areas such as national security.
DeepSeek has also faced accusations of unfairly leveraging US technology. OpenAI has alleged that rivals, particularly those in China, are using its work to rapidly develop their own AI products, highlighting broader concerns about intellectual property and technology transfer.
