DeepSeek discloses Korean version of revised info processing policy

Seoul: Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) service DeepSeek, which stirred controversy last week for the overseas transfer of Korean user information, disclosed a Korean-language version of its partially revised information processing policy on Monday.

The move came five days after the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) revealed that DeepSeek transferred Korean users’ personal information to three companies in China and one in the United States without obtaining their consent and disclosing the transfer in its personal information processing policy, reports Yonhap news agency.

DeepSeek also sent what users entered into the prompts to Volcano, a Chinese company affiliated with ByteDance, the parent company of Chinese social media platform TikTok, the PIPC said, asking the Chinese company to faithfully establish legal grounds for its overseas information transfers, immediately destroy the prompt information and disclose its Korean-language information processing policy.

In its revised policy, DeepSeek established a separate supplementary regulation for South Korea, stating that it will process personal information in compliance with the Korean Personal Information Protection Act.

DeepSeek, which suspended its service in South Korea on February 15 this year, just one month after launch, amid controversy over its data management, has yet to resume the service.

Meanwhile, South Korea is pushing to develop its own version of ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot created by US-based OpenAI, acting President Choi Sang-mok said recently, pledging full-scale government support for research and development (R&D).

Choi made the remarks during a high-level committee meeting aimed at positioning South Korea among the world’s top three AI powerhouses. The committee was established to foster collaboration between the government and the private sector.

To bolster AI capabilities, the government plans to secure 10,000 high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) within this year. As of the end of 2023, South Korea had approximately 2,000 GPUs, a critical component for AI development.

Choi said the government will provide large-scale GPU resources and research funding to ensure the country’s leadership in AI innovation.

—IANS