By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 20 Oct: The US has ordered civilian federal agencies to stop using artificial intelligence tools developed by the Chinese startup DeepSeek, citing concerns that the tools could expose sensitive government information to Chinese authorities.

The directive, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday, requires agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party tools developed using its technology from government IT systems. It also prohibits agencies from purchasing or acquiring these tools.

The DHS warned that using DeepSeek’s AI models could result in sensitive data being transferred to China, citing concerns over the location of the company’s servers and the legal powers Chinese authorities hold to access private-sector infrastructure.

The concerns come amid growing evidence of AI being used in surveillance operations targeting Tibetan exile institutions and other ...