Wednesday, March 05, 2025 | 11:38am
NASHVILLE—As Tennesseans rapidly integrate artificial intelligence into their daily lives, the Tennessee Attorney General's Office is sounding the alarm about the dangers posed by DeepSeek and other AI products controlled by or accessible to the Chinese Communist Party.
“DeepSeek creates real risk for both our country and our consumers,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. “The Tennessee state government has banned the use of DeepSeek on state phones and computers. Any private citizen thinking of using DeepSeek needs to be sure they understand the ramifications for their privacy and their security.”
Recent research has uncovered serious threats associated with DeepSeek, which include:
- Data Privacy: Data you provide to DeepSeek is stored in communist China and is, under Chinese law, readily accessible to Chinese intelligence agencies. Your data is not protected by strong encryption and there are no real limits on how it can be used by the Chinese government.
- Data Weaponization: DeepSeek collects and stores sensitive user information, such as keystrokes, behavior patterns, and IP addresses. This data can be used to generate detailed profiles on American users to power persuasive disinformation campaigns and hyper-personalized scams. The data can give China’s communist government unprecedented insight into U.S. vulnerabilities and could be used to attack our economy, influence elections, and further erode trust in our republic and its institutions.
- Cybersecurity: DeepSeek is less safe than other major AI products and has been identified as “high risk” by security researchers who see it as creating user vulnerability to online threats.
- Censorship and Propaganda: DeepSeek promotes propaganda that supports China’s communist government and censors information critical of or otherwise unfavorable to China’s communist government.
In light of these factors, the Tennessee Attorney General's Office urges consumers to exercise caution and seriously consider the risks when deciding whether to use DeepSeek instead of an alternative AI product based in a non-communist country. If you encounter any suspicious activity or have concerns regarding the use of DeepSeek or any other AI product, please report it to Tennessee’s Division of Consumer Affairs here.
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