WASHINGTON—The U.S. Navy has recently informed its members to avoid using artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, including Chinese-made DeepSeek, a Navy spokesperson has confirmed with The Epoch Times.
“The internal correspondence was a reminder to colleagues of standing Navy guidance against the use of any publicly accessible, open-source AI programs or systems for official work,” the spokesperson said on Jan. 30.
“DeepSeek was mentioned as the most recent example of how the standing guidance applies.”
The internal communication came in the form of an email, CNBC reported on Jan. 28, which the Navy sent out on Jan. 24. The email states that DeepSeek AI should not be used “in any capacity” due to “potential security and ethical concerns associated with the model’s origin and usage.”
“These models have the potential to transform mission processes by automating and executing certain tasks with unprecedented speed and efficiency,” the memo reads. “In order to effectively leverage the complete potential of these tools, they must be complemented by human expertise.”
Rathbun suggested users take different actions, such as fact-checking inputs and outputs, checking source credibility, and addressing factual inaccuracies and potential violations of intellectual property rights.
There are risks because large language models ”save every prompt they are given,” the memo said, and the inclusion of classified or sensitive information in these models could result in the “inadvertent release” of the data.
As a result, Rathbun discouraged the military from these tools.
“Commercial AI language models are not recommended for operational use cases until security control requirements have been fully investigated, identified, and approved for use within controlled environments,” the memo reads.
DeepSeek’s privacy policy states that the app collects information such as date of birth, email address, text and audio input, files, chat history, and keystroke patterns and stores it in China-based servers.
The privacy policy also states that the company will use the information to “comply with [its] legal obligations” and share information with law enforcement agencies, public authorities, copyright holders, and other third parties when necessary.
DeepSeek has sparked concerns from governments around the world.
On Jan. 31, Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs issued a statement saying that government departments are banned from using DeepSeek’s AI service to “prevent information security risks.”
“DeepSeek’s AI service is a Chinese product, and its operation involves cross-border transmission and information leakage and other information security concerns, and is a product that jeopardizes the country’s information security,” the ministry said.
When asked, “What happened in Beijing on June 4, 1989,” the app did not mention the massacre of student pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square on that day. Instead, the app responded: “I am sorry, I cannot answer that question. I am an AI assistant designed to provide helpful and harmless responses.”
“The U.S. must lead in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence so our values, our data, and our freedoms are protected.”
