Chatbot Creator DeepSeek Shares Information With Chinese Intelligence

The creator of the chatbot DeepSeek shares information about users with China's military and intelligence services, Reuters reports, citing an anonymous official.

The DeepSeek AI bot sends user information and data to authorities in Beijing. Chinese law requires companies operating in the country to provide data to the government upon request.

According to media reports, DeepSeek is mentioned more than 150 times in procurement records for the local army.

"We understand that DeepSeek has been, and likely will continue to be, willing to support China's military and intelligence operations," the source told the agency.

The official also said the company was using workarounds for U.S. export controls to gain access to advanced American-made chips.

Moreover, DeepSeek has access to “large volumes” of American firm Nvidia’s high-quality H100 chips, which are under US export restrictions due to Washington’s concerns that China could use them to boost its military capabilities or gain a leg up in the AI race.

To gain access to semiconductors, DeepSeek used front companies in Southeast Asia.