US bans use of China's DeepSeek AI tools by government agencies

Use of tools'may result in the transfer of sensitive data' to China, defense department says The US government on Monday ordered its agencies to stop using artificial intelligence (AI) tools from the Chinese startup DeepSeek, as the countries race for dominance in the fast-moving sector. A notice from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the ban on products developed by DeepSeek - and tools created using DeepSeek by third parties - saying they must be removed from IT devices. The DHS can issue direction to civilian agencies but not the military or intelligence services. The US defense department did not respond to an AFP request for comment. "DeepSeek's models present multiple threat vectors," said a document attached to Monday's notice.