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A US government backlash against overnight success AI chatbot DeepSeek R1 began, with various reports indicating the nation is probing national security implications, some branches of the military already outlawed it and concerns raised over data sovereignty.
Government press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed the US National Security Council is probing DeepSeek, Reuters reported. The official appears to have admitted the chatbot caught domestic alternatives off-guard, but reiterated a stance outlined by President Donald Trump over the nation’s ambition to dominate the AI sector.
DeepSeek R1 caused a sensation by besting ChatGPT in downloads from Apple’s App Store in the US within days of its launch. The swift success played havoc with the stock price of tech titans involved in various elements of AI, including chip makers and rival chatbot providers.
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CNBC reported the US Navy had already banned the use of DeepSeek before its headline-making App Store success, with personnel instructed not to use the chatbot “in any capacity”.
A representative told CNBC the Navy’s policy related to its broader policies around generative AI.
CNBC reported DeepSeek revealed last month it took two months to develop its large language model, at a cost of less than $6 million, a “tiny fraction” of the sums expended by OpenAI, Google and others.
Tensions over data sovereignty are running high in the US as a protracted saga involving TikTok plays out but, unlike the ByteDance-owned app, Forbes noted DeepSeek is making no secret of the fact its data centres are based in China.
In an editorial, contributor Zak Doffman highlighted the Chinese AI company provides a long list of examples of the data it collects and ships back to its home nation.
DeepSeek collects data directly and indirectly spanning the information provided when signing up, queries made, chat histories, files uploaded and more. Doffman noted the company also gathers details of IP addresses, unique device identifiers and cookies.
The columnist argues the swathe of information DeepSeek gathers is “much more powerful” than the details TikTok employs, adding there is more provided than needed to run the chatbot.
