DeepSeek AI Sparks Security Concerns Among US Officials

US Officials Raise Alarms Over DeepSeek AI and National Security

In the realm of artificial intelligence, DeepSeek has rapidly risen as a prominent player. This Chinese company has rolled out AI models that not only deliver exceptional performance but also do so at a fraction of the cost found in the industry. By surpassing multiple other popular AI models, DeepSeek's impact has been considerable, even affecting major corporations like NVIDIA. However, this surge in DeepSeek's popularity has prompted US officials to express concerns over potential national security threats.

Echoes of Past Concerns: DeepSeek AI's Entry Raises Red Flags

The anxieties surrounding DeepSeek resemble the earlier debates over TikTok's presence in the U.S. Last year, there was significant legislative pressure under former President Joe Biden's administration to ban TikTok unless ByteDance divested its U.S. operations. Back then, the discourse was heavily influenced by national security concerns, harkening back even to the administration of Donald Trump, whose stance has since evolved considerably.

Now, with DeepSeek's AI-powered innovations, U.S. authorities are once again on alert. Historical skepticism towards Chinese-developed platforms remains strong; for instance, TikTok had already amassed 170 million users by the time the U.S. took significant action. Current geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China exacerbate these concerns, especially considering recent incidents such as breaches in domestic telecommunications networks.

▶️ Ross Burley of the Centre for Information Resilience has been outspoken, citing data security and user privacy issues with DeepSeek. His concerns stem from the company's data handling practices and identified software vulnerabilities. "The use of DeepSeek by more individuals means potentially more personal data heading to the Chinese Communist Party," Burley stated, noting that DeepSeek's policies involve storing user data on servers within mainland China.

The Types of Data DeepSeek Collects

DeepSeek's applications, available on iOS and Android, collect various data types during user sessions. This includes device model, operating system, keystroke patterns, IP addresses, and even performance logs and diagnostic data like crash reports. American experts and officials fear that such data could be accessible to the Chinese government under local legislative conditions, which often demand data access from companies hosting their servers in China.

Ross Burley further warns that these data-collection methods could empower Beijing to execute behavior modification or disinformation campaigns via DeepSeek—a scenario reminiscent of past and present concerns regarding TikTok.

Potential Strategies Against DeepSeek

Despite rising alarm, concrete steps by the U.S. against DeepSeek remain absent. Former President Trump has publicly labeled the situation a "wake-up call" for American tech firms, even as the United States focuses on cultivating its AI initiative, the Stargate project. This sentiment is echoed by OpenAI's CEO, who seems open to the invigorating challenge posed by such substantive competition.