India’s finance ministry has advised its employees to refrain from using AI tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official purposes, citing risks to data confidentiality. The advisory, issued on January 29, highlights concerns over sensitive government documents being exposed to potential security threats.
The warning comes just a day before OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s scheduled visit to India, where he is set to meet the IT minister. While representatives from OpenAI, DeepSeek, and the finance ministry have not commented, officials have confirmed the authenticity of the advisory.
Also Read: How to Use DeepSeek AI to Build a Profitable Online Business
Similar restrictions have been implemented in other countries. Australia recently banned DeepSeek on all government devices, citing security risks, while Italy and Taiwan have also imposed restrictions on the AI firm. The growing concerns reflect global apprehensions about AI applications handling sensitive information.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is facing legal challenges in India over copyright infringement claims by major media houses. The company has argued that Indian courts should not have jurisdiction over the matter since it does not operate servers in the country.
