Australia says be 'very careful' over DeepSeek and privacy
World
By
AFP
| Jan 28, 2025
Australia's science minister raised privacy concerns over China's breakout AI chatbot DeepSeek on Tuesday, urging users to think carefully before downloading it.
Developed by a China-based technology startup, the DeepSeek chatbot has astounded industry insiders and upended financial markets since it was released last week.
Praised for its ability to match Western competitors at a fraction of the cost, it has surged to the top of app download charts, displacing market leader ChatGPT.
But Australian Science Minister Ed Husic urged caution.
"There are a lot of questions that will need to be answered in time on quality, consumer preferences, data and privacy management," Husic told national broadcaster ABC.
READ MORE
Sh7 hike in road levy ups revenue collection by 51 per cent
Why business sustainability demands more than survival in tough climate
Jaguar Land Rover to cut 500 jobs as Trump tariffs bite
Australian coffee chain to invest Sh1.3b as it enters Kenya
KRA beats customs revenue target with Sh3b daily collection
Mbadi defends fuel levy securitisation amid tax criticism
Mombasa port hit by worst empty containers pile up as ships delay
How Donald Trump's remittance tax is threatening property investments in Kenya
Poor air quality silently killing thousands in Africa
How higher oil marketers' margins adds to the pain of higher fuel prices
"I would be very careful about that. These type of issues need to be weighed up carefully."
Husic said Chinese companies sometimes differed from Western rivals when it came to user privacy and data management.
"The Chinese are very good at developing products that work very well. That market is accustomed to their approaches on data and privacy.
"The minute you export it to markets where consumers have different expectations around privacy and data management, the questions is whether those products will be embraced in the same way.
"I think you have to be careful, I'm just being completely frank and direct on that."
Australia in 2018 banned Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from its national 5G network, citing national security concerns.