DeepSeek AI recently gained popularity, surpassing ChatGPT in downloads on the Apple App Store, raising concerns among regulators.
Both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in Italy have withdrawn the artificial intelligence application DeepSeek.
Italian users who endeavored to obtain the application on Wednesday encountered notifications indicating that it was “currently not available in the country or area” on Apple’s platform and “not supported” on Google’s service.
Italy Restricts DeepSeek AI Amid Growing Data Privacy Concerns
A recent report indicates that DeepSeek AI is not accessible on the Apple and Google app stores in Italy. Notwithstanding this limitation, users who have previously installed the application retain access to its services.
The application continues to be accessible for installation in various countries within the European Union as well as in the United Kingdom. The abrupt discontinuation of DeepSeek AI is a consequence of an investigation conducted by Italy’s data protection authority concerning the application’s data collection and storage methodologies.
The regulatory authority has requested that DeepSeek provide a comprehensive disclosure regarding the nature of the data collected, its sources, intended purposes, legal foundations, and the locations of its storage.
The regulatory authority has given DeepSeek 20 days to respond. Significantly, the Chinese company recently garnered considerable attention after exceeding ChatGPT in the number of downloads on the Apple App Store.
The swift expansion of artificial intelligence applications has engendered apprehensions among investors, resulting in a sell-off of technology equities.
Investors attribute the app’s rise to its claims of offering artificial intelligence services at a more cost-effective rate than its competitors. The growing utilization of DeepSeek has attracted the attention of both regulatory bodies and competing entities.
In the past, the Italian data protection authority has taken similar steps, such as temporarily banning ChatGPT in 2023. This agency is known for being proactive in its approach to regulating artificial intelligence.
OpenAI’s Allegations Against DeepSeek
Concurrently, OpenAI has asserted that DeepSeek may have utilized its research and technology in the development of its artificial intelligence model.
The accusations are about a method called “knowledge distillation,” which involves taking insights from well-known AI models to improve performance and cut costs at the same time.
OpenAI has indicated that Chinese and other international enterprises are persistently endeavoring to exploit the efforts of prominent U.S. artificial intelligence companies. In an interview with Fox News, David Sacks, the White House’s designated authority on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency:
“There’s substantial evidence that what DeepSeek did here is they distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI’s models,” Mr Sacks said. I think one of the things you’re going to see over the next few months is our leading AI companies taking steps to try and prevent distillation. That would slow down some of these copycat models.”
US National Security Concerns
A recent report by CNN has underscored the fact that U.S. officials are currently assessing the national security implications related to the expansion of DeepSeek.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has affirmed that the National Security Council is currently evaluating the possible ramifications associated with the increasing prevalence of the application.
The United States Navy has proactively implemented precautionary measures by prohibiting its personnel from utilizing DeepSeek, citing security and ethical considerations.
The swift emergence of DeepSeek AI has initiated discussions regarding regulatory supervision, competitive practices, and data security. In order to stay ahead of the competition, OpenAI has also created ChatGPT Gov just for U.S. government agencies.
This makes it easier for them to use AI safely in the Microsoft Azure platform. The platform significantly improves efficacy in activities such as policy formulation, data analysis, and cybersecurity measures.
Since 2024, more than 90,000 government employees have utilized ChatGPT, prompting OpenAI to strive for adherence to stringent compliance standards.
