South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) has issued a warning about security vulnerabilities in DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence model, citing concerns over unrestricted data collection and inconsistent responses to sensitive questions.

In a statement released on 9 February, the intelligence agency revealed that DeepSeek collects identifiable user information, including keyboard input patterns, and transmits chat logs to servers operated by Chinese companies such as volceapplog.com.

The NIS highlighted that the AI model's terms of service require automatic sharing of user data with advertisers without restrictions or defined retention periods, suggesting personal information could be stored indefinitely and shared with third parties without user consent.

A significant concern raised by the agency is that South Korean users' data is stored on servers in China, where it may be subject to government access under Chinese law. This poses potential national security risks, particularly for government and corporate users handling sensitive information.

The intelligence agency also identified inconsistencies in DeepSeek's responses to culturally and politically sensitive questions depending on the language used. For instance, when asked about the origins of kimchi in Korean, DeepSeek describes it as "a representative dish deeply rooted in Korea's culture and history." However, when the same question is posed in Chinese, the response falsely claims Chinese origins.

In response to these concerns, the NIS issued an internal directive in March 2024, cautioning government agencies about using DeepSeek and other generative AI platforms for official work. The agency plans to conduct a comprehensive review of DeepSeek's technical security in collaboration with relevant authorities.

The scrutiny of DeepSeek by South Korean authorities highlights growing concerns over data privacy, national security, and potential foreign influence in AI-generated information as these technologies continue to gain prominence worldwide.

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