US Navy Warns Shipmates Against Using DeepSeek’s AI Over Security and Ethical Concerns

The rapid ascent of DeepSeek within the artificial intelligence landscape has sparked growing concerns surrounding privacy and security, prompting action from various authorities. Securing the top position on the App Store across multiple regions, including the United States, has raised eyebrows among competitors. Reports indicate that the US Navy has officially prohibited the utilization of DeepSeek’s AI models, citing serious ethical and privacy concerns.

US Navy Prohibits DeepSeek AI: Concerns Over Privacy and Security

Recent coverage highlighted that the Pentagon leveraged the DeepSeek chatbot for a brief period, lasting just two days, before it was swiftly removed from operational use. This incident underscores substantial apprehensions regarding user privacy and security, leading officials to advocate for an outright ban on the application. As a result, DeepSeek has been taken off the App Store, and its future availability in the United States remains uncertain.

The company’s R1 AI model has reportedly outperformed OpenAI’s o1 model in reasoning tasks. Achieving this milestone with an investment of approximately $5.6 million has been noted as a remarkable achievement. According to a CNBC report, the US Navy communicated a warning via email to its personnel, advising them against using DeepSeek’s AI platform in any form. The message cited “potential security and ethical concerns, ” which contributed to the decision for the Pentagon’s prohibition.

An email detailing the policy from the Department of the Navy’s Chief Information Officer regarding generative AI was dispatched to relevant members on a recent Friday. The correspondence included the following excerpt:

“We would like to bring to your attention a critical update regarding a new AI model called DeepSeek.”

The directive clearly states that personnel within the US Navy are to avoid any usage of the DeepSeek AI platform. Downloading and installing the app is also explicitly forbidden under this policy. Given the sensitive nature of data collection and the geopolitical context, this decision is understandable.

DeepSeek’s privacy policy indicates comprehensive data collection practices that might include information users prefer to keep private. Meanwhile, OpenAI is actively developing new AI models aimed at competing with DeepSeek’s innovation and Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 AI model; however, specific performance metrics remain undisclosed. We will continue to monitor these developments for timely updates, so stay tuned.

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