The US Navy has banned its personnel from using the Chinese-developed AI model DeepSeek due to security and ethical concerns.
CNBC reported on Tuesday that the US Navy has prohibited its sailors from using the artificial intelligence model developed by the Chinese firm DeepSeek.
In a Friday email to personnel, the Navy forbade the use of DeepSeek’s R1 model for any work or personal reasons, citing potential security and ethical risks stemming from the model’s origin and application.
DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based startup, launched its AI Assistant app earlier this month, quickly becoming the top free app on the US Apple App Store, surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
A US Navy spokesperson later confirmed the email’s authenticity to CNBC.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that the US National Security Council is investigating the implications of DeepSeek’s AI.
The rapid growth of the Chinese model has caused market volatility, with major tech companies like Nvidia experiencing significant losses as investors worry about DeepSeek’s cost-effective AI potentially disrupting established industry leaders.
OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman tweeted on Monday that the Chinese AI was impressive, especially considering its price point. However, he assured users that OpenAI would create superior models and welcomed the competition.
US President Donald Trump previously described DeepSeek’s model launch as a wake-up call for US tech companies to enhance their competitiveness.