The Australian government has banned the use of the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek on all government-issued devices, citing national security concerns. This decision, effective immediately, follows warnings from intelligence agencies about the potential risks associated with the app.
The ban comes amidst growing global concerns about the security and privacy implications of AI technologies developed in China.
While the ban applies only to government entities, the government has urged Australians to be mindful of how their data is used online. This move follows a similar ban on the Chinese social media app TikTok earlier this year.
DeepSeek’s rapid rise to prominence has sparked a global debate about the future of AI development and the potential for geopolitical competition in this emerging field.