South Korean finance ministry to block Chinese DeepSeek AI access

Seoul: The finance ministry plans to block access to the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) service DeepSeek, a ministry official said on Thursday, in the latest of Seoul’s restrictions on the use of the service among officials amid data collection concerns.

“Due to multiple technical concerns raised about DeepSeek from home and abroad, we plan to block access for the service on PCs connected to external networks,” the official said.

The decision is part of a government-wide initiative to limit access to DeepSeek to prevent potential leaks of critical information through generative AI services, reports Yonhap news agency.

On Wednesday, access to the service was restricted on computers at the foreign, trade and defence ministries in South Korea.

An official at the unification ministry separately said on Thursday that the ministry also plans to block access to AI services, apparently DeepSeek.

“The unification ministry has (since 2023) prohibited the input of undisclosed official data into all generative AI at the request of the National Intelligence Service and the interior ministry,” the official said.

Asked whether the ministry would block access to DeepSeek, the official said, “We plan to take follow-up measures within the day, including blocking access,” without directly mentioning its name.

DeepSeek has drawn significant attention since its release last month, impressing industry experts with its high performance at relatively low cost when compared to competing services.

However, concerns over its security and data management practices have led multiple countries to scrutinise and impose restrictions on the service.

Earlier, the foreign and trade ministries blocked access to the Chinese AI service DeepSeek amid concerns about user data collection. According to multiple ministry sources, access to the service has been restricted on ministry computers connected to external networks.

The two ministries are among the key government departments handling sensitive data related to foreign affairs and trade. The move is viewed as part of the government’s efforts to proactively address concerns that important government data could be compromised while officials use generative AI services.

—IANS