Because DeepSeek is a Chinese product and may jeopardize national security, Taiwan has prohibited its use by employees in the public sector and at critical infrastructure facilities.

Last month, DeepSeek unveiled its R1 chatbot, which it claims can match the capabilities of US leaders in artificial intelligence at a fraction of the cost.

Battle for AI Supremacy: DeepSeek and ChatGPT

Concerns regarding the data practices of the Chinese AI firm have been voiced by nations such as South Korea, Ireland, France, Australia, and Italy.

DeepSeek “endangers national information security,” according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, which stated on Friday that all government organizations and vital infrastructure should refrain from using it.

In a statement, the government claimed that DeepSeek AI was a Chinese product.

“Its operation entails information leakage, cross-border transmission, and other information security issues.”

As Beijing asserts its claims of sovereignty over the island, Taiwan has long accused China of employing “grey zone” tactics—actions that do not amount to an act of war—against the island, including cyberattacks.

Taiwan has prohibited government organizations from utilizing ICT products and services that endanger “national information security” since 2019.

This week, DeepSeek’s potent new chatbot, which is believed to have equaled US firms in its capabilities but at a fraction of the cost, caused a stir on Wall Street.

This is true even though a stringent US government bans Chinese companies from obtaining the kinds of cutting-edge processors required to power the enormous learning models used to create artificial intelligence.

Taiwan imposed the prohibition after South Korean and Irish privacy watchdogs announced they will request that DeepSeek provide more details about how it handles user data.

Italy started looking into the R1 model earlier this week and stopped it from processing data belonging to Italian consumers.