The US government has ordered civilian agencies to stop using AI tools developed by Chinese company DeepSeek. A Department of Homeland Security notice issued on Monday also covers third-party tools built using DeepSeek and directs agencies to remove them from IT devices.
The department said use by government employees or vendors may result in sensitive data being transferred to China. It pointed to DeepSeek’s servers in China and said the country’s legal system gives its government extensive authority to access private company infrastructure. The department’s direction does not extend to military or intelligence agencies.
DeepSeek has been contacted for comment. The company drew attention in January 2025 with a low-cost chatbot; it later released its V4 model and updated a lighter version. The US and China agreed in September to establish a channel for communicating about AI incidents.
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