Taiwan has banned staff within the public sector and at key infrastructure services from utilizing DeepSeek, saying it was a Chinese language product and will endanger nationwide safety.
DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot final month, claiming it matches the capability of synthetic intelligence pace-setters in the USA for a fraction of the funding.
International locations together with South Korea, Eire, France, Australia and Italy have raised questions in regards to the Chinese language AI startup’s information practices.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs mentioned Friday all authorities businesses and demanding infrastructure mustn’t use DeepSeek as a result of it “endangers nationwide info safety”.
“DeepSeek AI service is a Chinese language product,” the ministry mentioned in a press release.
“Its operation includes cross-border transmission and knowledge leakage and different info safety considerations.”
Taiwan has lengthy accused China of utilizing “gray zone” ways — actions that fall wanting an act of warfare — in opposition to the island, together with cyberattacks, as Beijing presses its claims of sovereignty over the island.
Since 2019, Taiwan has banned authorities businesses from utilizing info and communication know-how services and products that pose a risk to “nationwide info safety”.
DeepSeek sparked panic on Wall Road this week with its highly effective new chatbot that’s thought to have matched US corporations in its talents however at a fraction of the associated fee.
That’s regardless of a strict US regime prohibiting Chinese language corporations from accessing the sorts of superior chips wanted to energy the huge studying fashions used to develop AI.
Taiwan’s restriction got here as information watchdogs in South Korea and Eire mentioned they’d ask DeepSeek to make clear the way it manages customers’ private info.
Earlier this week, Italy launched an investigation into the R1 mannequin and blocked it from processing Italian customers’ information.
AFP
