- An internal US Navy email warned members not to use DeepSeek AI.
- The memo is a reminder of the existing Navy policy against open-source AI for official work.
- DeepSeek, a Chinese AI app, has surpassed ChatGPT in Apple app downloads.
The US Navy warned some service members they shouldn’t use AI apps, including Chinese startup DeepSeek.
A Navy memo sent last week said DeepSeek’s AI should not be used “in any capacity” due to “potential security and ethical concerns associated with the model’s origin and usage.”
News of the memo was earlier reported by CNBC.
A Navy official told Business Insider that the email was distributed to less than 40 personnel, notifying them that DeepSeek fits into 2023 Department of the Navy guidance cautioning service members against the use of AI tools. A range of open-source AI tools are publicly available, including popular programs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
The 2023 guidance states that using commercial generative AI models poses a “unique security risk” with the potential for “data compromise.”
The official said the email was intended for a smaller audience within the Navy, but it was circulated more broadly. They called it “the forwarding effect.”
A Navy spokesperson said the memo aimed to remind service members of its existing AI policy and was not part of a new ban from the Navy.
“The internal correspondence was a reminder to colleagues of standing Navy guidance against the use of any publicly accessible, open-source AI programs or systems for official work,” the spokesperson said. “DeepSeek was mentioned as the most recent example of how the standing guidance applies.”
DeepSeek has made headlines as a low-cost alternative to American-made AI tools like ChatGPT, and briefly sparked a sudden, sharp downturn in US markets this week. The Chinese AI company was started in 2023 and has recently surpassed ChatGPT for Apple app downloads.
