The U.S. Department of Defense is scrambling to restrict access to DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot, after discovering that Pentagon employees had connected their work computers to its servers, raising serious national security concerns.
DeepSeek’s terms of service explicitly state that user data is stored on servers in China and is subject to Chinese law, which mandates cooperation with the country's intelligence agencies. This has sparked fears about the potential exposure of sensitive government data to foreign surveillance.
Despite these clear data policies, multiple Pentagon employees unknowingly engaged with the chatbot for at least two days, according to a report from Bloomberg. During this period, their work devices communicated with DeepSeek’s servers, creating potential vulnerabilities in the Department of Defense's cyber infrastructure.
In response, the Pentagon has begun actively blocking access to DeepSeek on certain segments of its network. However, Bloomberg reports that some employees can still reach the service, highlighting gaps in the department’s cybersecurity enforcement.
The rapid rise of DeepSeek has alarmed U.S. officials, as the AI chatbot has surged to the top of both the U.S. Apple App Store and Google Play Store rankings. This growing popularity has intensified concerns about the potential national security risks associated with American users feeding data into an AI model governed by Chinese regulations.
On January 24, the U.S. Navy took a proactive stance by formally prohibiting employees from accessing DeepSeek, citing both security and ethical concerns, according to CNBC. Other government agencies may soon follow suit as they assess the broader implications of the chatbot’s widespread adoption.
The U.S. government continues to grapple with the challenges posed by foreign-controlled AI platforms, as adversarial nations increasingly leverage technology for data gathering and intelligence purposes. The DeepSeek incident underscores the need for heightened cybersecurity awareness and stricter controls to prevent unauthorized access to foreign-operated digital services within critical government infrastructure.
