India’s finance ministry has issued an internal advisory urging employees to refrain from using AI tools, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, for official work. The advisory, dated January 29, cites concerns over the potential risks to the confidentiality of government data and documents. The move follows similar restrictions by countries such as Australia and Italy, which have also raised concerns over data security with AI tools like DeepSeek.
The advisory surfaced ahead of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s visit to India, where he was scheduled to meet with India’s IT minister. The ministry’s note outlines the risks associated with using AI apps on government devices, which may compromise the security of sensitive information.
Representatives from the Indian finance ministry, OpenAI, and DeepSeek have not responded to requests for comment. While it is unclear if other Indian ministries have issued similar restrictions, the development is part of ongoing scrutiny of OpenAI’s activities in India, including a high-profile copyright case involving major Indian media organizations.