Countries like Australia and Italy have placed similar restrictions on use of DeepSeek
India’s Finance Ministry Restricts AI Tools Like ChatGPT, DeepSeek Over Data Security Risks
NEW DELHI – India’s finance ministry has advised its employees to avoid using AI tools, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, for official work due to concerns over data confidentiality and security risks, an internal advisory revealed.
The move aligns with similar restrictions imposed by Australia and Italy, which have flagged data privacy concerns related to DeepSeek, a fast-rising Chinese AI chatbot.
Confidentiality at Risk
The advisory, dated January 29, states:
“AI tools and AI apps (such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek, etc.) on office computers and devices pose risks to the confidentiality of government data and documents.”
Three finance ministry officials confirmed the advisory’s authenticity, though it remains unclear whether other Indian ministries have issued similar directives.
AI Under Scrutiny as OpenAI CEO Visits India
Reports of the restriction surfaced just ahead of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s scheduled visit to India on Wednesday, where he is expected to meet with the IT minister. Neither India’s finance ministry, OpenAI, nor DeepSeek have responded to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, OpenAI faces legal challenges in India over copyright infringement allegations from major media houses. The company has argued in court filings that it does not have servers in India and, therefore, Indian courts should not have jurisdiction over the matter.
As global AI competition heats up, governments worldwide are tightening regulations, aiming to balance innovation with national security and data protection—and India is the latest to take a cautious approach.
