The US government has ordered its agencies to stop using artificial intelligence tools made by DeepSeek, the Chinese startup, in a move announced on Monday. The US government ban on DeepSeek was set out in a notice from the Department of Homeland Security, which said the products must be removed from information technology devices. The order comes as Washington and Beijing compete for dominance in the fast-moving AI sector.
What the notice covers
According to the notice, the ban applies to DeepSeek's own products and to tools that third parties have created using DeepSeek. The Department of Homeland Security can issue directions to civilian agencies, but not to the military or to intelligence services. The Department of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
The department warned that sensitive data could be passed to China if US government employees or vendors used DeepSeek tools. That warning is the central reason the department gave for the order, and it applies to the agencies under its direction.
Why security was cited
A document attached to the notice said that 'DeepSeek's models present multiple threat vectors.' The department said DeepSeek's servers are located in China, where the legal system gives the government extensive authority to access private company infrastructure. These are the department's own claims, set out in its notice.
Separately, the United States has accused DeepSeek and other top Chinese AI firms of systematically stealing the capabilities of cutting-edge models developed by American rivals. That accusation comes from Washington and is presented here as an allegation, not a established finding.
Background and what comes next
DeepSeek, one of China's leading AI labs, drew global attention in January 2025 with a low-cost, high-performance chatbot that challenged assumptions of US dominance. The firm released a new model, V4, in April, and later updated a faster, lighter version of V4.
In September, China and the United States agreed to set up a 'communication channel' for AI incidents, even while competing in the field. The issue is expected to come up again at a summit in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, where the two countries' leaders are due to meet.
Aasan alfaaz mein
America ne apni sarkari agencies ko DeepSeek ke AI tools istemal karne se rok diya hai, aur ye tools sarkari IT devices se hatane honge. Yeh hukm civilian agencies par lagu hota hai, military aur intelligence services par nahi. Pakistan mein aam logon ke liye is ka seedha asar abhi reporting mein nahi bataya gaya. Lekin ye US aur China ke darmiyan AI par barhti sakhti ka ishara hai.
