Recently, the Australian government issued an official order to completely ban the use of the DeepSeek artificial intelligence program on all government computers and mobile devices, citing that the program poses an "unacceptable risk" to national security. DeepSeek is a chatbot developed by a Chinese tech startup, and since its launch last month, its powerful capabilities have attracted widespread attention in the industry, even shaking the financial markets.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, image licensed by Midjourney
Stephanie Foster, Secretary of the Australian Department of Home Affairs, stated in the directive that after analyzing the threats and risks, she believes that the use of DeepSeek products, applications, and online services would pose significant security concerns for the Australian government. According to the directive, starting this Wednesday, all non-corporate federal agencies must identify and remove all DeepSeek products and applications present on Australian government systems and mobile devices. Additionally, the directive requires the blocking of access to, use of, or installation of DeepSeek products on government systems and mobile devices.
In addition to Australia, other countries such as South Korea, Italy, and France have also expressed concerns about the security and data processing methods of DeepSeek. The chatbot claimed last month that the capabilities of its newly launched R1 model are comparable to those of the top AI products in the United States, but at a much lower cost. This claim triggered a strong reaction in Silicon Valley, with some believing that its high performance and low cost serve as a warning for American developers.
Meanwhile, many experts have accused DeepSeek of potentially reverse-engineering the technology of leading American products, particularly those related to OpenAI's ChatGPT. As scrutiny of DeepSeek's services intensifies globally, Australia's move stands out as one of the most severe actions taken by any government. In recent years, the technology and trade disputes between China and Australia have escalated, with Australia banning Chinese company Huawei from participating in its 5G network construction in 2018 on national security grounds. Since then, relations between the two countries have been strained, leading to a multi-billion dollar trade war, although there has been some easing of tensions at the end of last year.
Key Points:
📌 The Australian government bans the DeepSeek artificial intelligence program on all government devices to address security risks.
📌 DeepSeek, developed by a Chinese startup, has raised concerns in multiple countries due to its powerful capabilities and data processing practices.
📌 Relations between China and Australia remain tense due to ongoing technology and trade disputes, historically including a ban on Huawei's involvement in 5G construction.
