DeepSeek AI: The New Chinese AI and Why Americans Should Be Cautious

By Dr. Thomas Hyslip, from the TegaCaySun.com

A new artificial intelligence model, DeepSeek AI, has emerged from China, positioning itself as a competitor to leading Western AI models. While the technology behind DeepSeek appears advanced, there are serious concerns regarding its data security, privacy implications, and potential government oversight—raising alarms for American users.

What is DeepSeek AI?

DeepSeek AI is a large language model developed in China, offering capabilities similar to those of OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini. Like its Western counterparts, it can generate text, assist with research, and provide conversational responses to user inquiries.

However, China’s track record on internet surveillance, censorship, and state control over technology presents significant risks for users outside the country, especially Americans.

Reasons Americans Should Avoid DeepSeek AI

1. Data Security and Privacy Risks

One of the primary concerns with DeepSeek AI is how it handles user data. China’s cybersecurity laws grant the government broad access to data stored or processed within its borders. This means that any information entered into DeepSeek AI could be accessed by the Chinese government, either through direct means or through the country’s extensive data regulation policies.

By using DeepSeek, Americans could unknowingly expose sensitive personal or business-related data to foreign surveillance, which could be exploited for economic, political, or intelligence purposes.

2. Government Oversight and Censorship

Unlike AI models developed in democratic nations, DeepSeek AI is likely subject to strict government censorship. The Chinese government has a history of controlling and filtering information that does not align with its political agenda.

For American users, this means:

• Biased or censored responses—DeepSeek AI may avoid or misrepresent topics that are politically sensitive in China.
• Limited access to global perspectives—Unlike Western AI models that draw from a variety of sources, DeepSeek may exclude Western viewpoints or restrict certain discussions.
• Potential propaganda risks—There is concern that AI models controlled by authoritarian governments could be used to subtly influence users’ opinions, either by omitting facts or presenting distorted narratives.

3. National Security Concerns

U.S. lawmakers and cybersecurity experts have repeatedly warned about the risks posed by Chinese technology companies. Concerns about Huawei, TikTok, and various Chinese apps have already led to government bans and investigations. DeepSeek AI could represent a new frontier in this cybersecurity battle.

By interacting with DeepSeek AI, American companies, researchers, or government officials could unintentionally provide valuable data to a foreign adversary. Even general inquiries could give insights into business trends, research directions, or personal interests that could be exploited by state-backed actors.

4. DeepSeek’s Recent Data Leak: A Major Red Flag

On January 29, cybersecurity researchers at Wiz Research revealed that DeepSeek suffered a significant data breach, exposing over one million sensitive records. The leaked information included chat logs, system details, operational metadata, API secrets, and sensitive log streams.

The breach, which left a large database publicly accessible without authentication, demonstrates DeepSeek’s inability to secure user data. If a Chinese AI firm cannot even protect its own internal information, American users should be extremely wary of sharing any personal or business-related data with the platform.

5. Ethical and Competitive Concerns

Beyond security risks, supporting Chinese AI models like DeepSeek could further strengthen an adversarial government’s technological and economic influence. China has been accused of engaging in unethical AI practices, including mass surveillance, facial recognition tracking, and AI-powered censorship.

Using and endorsing DeepSeek AI indirectly fuels the growth of an AI ecosystem that prioritizes government control over individual freedoms. Meanwhile, Western AI companies operate under stricter privacy laws and ethical guidelines, making them a safer choice.

Final Thoughts

While DeepSeek AI may offer advanced capabilities, the risks far outweigh the benefits for American users. Data security, government censorship, national security concerns, and the recent data breach make it an unwise choice compared to more secure, transparent Western AI models.

For individuals and businesses in the U.S., sticking with AI models developed by companies in democratic nations is the safest way to ensure privacy, free expression, and protection from foreign surveillance.