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DeepSeek May Face Further Regulatory Actions, EU Privacy Watchdog Says

Europe’s privacy watchdog, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), has indicated that the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek may face additional regulatory actions in the future. This statement comes after national privacy regulators in several European countries raised concerns over DeepSeek’s practices regarding personal data usage.

The EDPB’s announcement followed discussions among national data protection authorities (DPAs) at a monthly meeting on Tuesday. The regulators had already taken steps in Italy, where DeepSeek’s chatbot was blocked due to insufficient transparency regarding its use of personal data. In addition, enforcers in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and other nations have questioned DeepSeek about its data collection methods.

“Several DPAs have already started actions vis-a-vis DeepSeek, and there may be further actions in the future,” an EDPB spokesperson confirmed. As a result of these concerns, the EDPB expanded its taskforce, initially focused on Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to include DeepSeek. The taskforce was created in April 2023 to promote cooperation and information sharing on AI enforcement actions.

The regulators also emphasized the need for a coordinated response to sensitive matters and have decided to form a quick response team to address urgent issues. Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect in 2018, remains one of the strictest privacy laws globally, and the region continues to lead efforts in protecting citizens’ privacy rights.

Capgemini CEO Criticizes EU’s AI Regulations as Too Restrictive

Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini, expressed concerns that the European Union has overreached with its artificial intelligence regulations, making it more challenging for global companies to deploy AI in the region. In an interview, Ezzat highlighted the difficulties businesses face as they navigate different AI laws across multiple countries. His remarks come ahead of the AI Action Summit in Paris and amidst growing frustration from the private sector regarding AI regulations.

The EU’s AI Act, which is touted as the world’s most comprehensive AI law, has been criticized by some companies for stifling innovation. Ezzat commented, “In Europe, we went too far and too fast on AI regulation,” emphasizing that the absence of global AI standards has made the regulatory landscape increasingly complex.

Capgemini, one of Europe’s largest IT services firms, partners with major companies like Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), and serves clients such as Heathrow Airport and Deutsche Telekom. At the upcoming summit in Paris, AI policy frameworks are expected to be discussed, and Ezzat anticipates efforts to align global policy on AI.

While the AI Act won’t be fully implemented for several years, concerns have already arisen regarding privacy law violations by AI actors. Several European data protection authorities are reviewing DeepSeek, a Chinese startup that has drawn attention for its ability to compete with U.S. companies at a fraction of the cost. Despite DeepSeek’s open-source model, Ezzat noted its transparency limitations, such as the lack of access to the datasets used to train the models.

Capgemini is in the early stages of exploring the integration of DeepSeek’s models with clients, according to Ezzat.

Siemens Healthineers Shares Rise on Q1 Revenue Beat Despite China Order Delays

Siemens Healthineers (SHLG.DE) reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter revenue on Thursday, with a 5.9% year-on-year increase, despite challenges posed by delayed customer orders in China. The company’s Q1 group revenue reached 5.48 billion euros ($5.69 billion), slightly surpassing the 5.37 billion euros forecast by analysts.

The revenue boost was driven by a 16% surge in U.S. revenues, counteracting a 6% decline in sales from China, which the company attributed to “continued delays in customer orders.” Like many of its peers in the healthcare technology sector, Siemens Healthineers has been impacted by China’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, leading to reduced hospital equipment orders in the region.

Siemens Healthineers’ Chief Financial Officer, Jochen Schmitz, stated that the company expects continued challenges in China, forecasting a decline in sales in the “medium to high percentage range” during the first half of the year. He also noted a “flat trend” in China’s performance over the following quarters.

Despite the challenges, Siemens Healthineers remains cautiously optimistic, with CEO Bernd Montag emphasizing that while global trade disruptions, such as U.S. tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, are a concern, the risk to the healthcare and medical technology sectors remains relatively low. He added that U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports would have a “minor” impact on the company’s business.

The company also expects a stronger U.S. dollar to play a role in its financial outlook. Siemens Healthineers confirmed its full-year guidance, with revenue growth anticipated to fall within the lower end of the projected range of 5% to 6% for the second quarter.