DeepSeek’s Rise to Prominence and the Concerns Surrounding it

A Chinese Company’s Chatbot Takes the US by Storm

DeepSeek, a Chinese company, has made a significant impact in the US AI landscape this week. Their chatbot has risen to the top of the Apple and Play stores, while major US cloud providers like Microsoft have begun offering it on their platforms.

The Backlash Against DeepSeek

However, "hundreds" of companies, especially those with ties to government, have blocked the service, according to Bloomberg. This decision was based on interviews with executives from cybersecurity firms Armis and Netskope.

The Concerns Surrounding Data Leakage

The biggest concern is the AI model’s potential data leakage to the Chinese government, said Armis’ CTO Nadir Izrael. This concern is further highlighted by the fact that DeepSeek stores all user data in China, where local laws mandate companies share data with intelligence agencies upon request.

Law Firms and Government Agencies Block DeepSeek

Bloomberg Law separately reported that a San Francisco law firm, Fox Rothschild, has blocked DeepSeek as well. The Pentagon has also started blocking DeepSeek, while the Navy banned it last week.

The Implications of DeepSeek’s Rise

DeepSeek’s rapid rise to prominence has raised concerns about the potential risks associated with using a Chinese company’s AI model. As the US government and other organizations continue to grapple with the implications of this technology, it remains to be seen how this situation will unfold.