Belgian parliament blocks Chinese AI model DeepSeek
The Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek has been blocked in the Belgian federal parliament since last week, parliamentary services confirmed to Belga. The voice model, which has come under scrutiny across Europe over privacy concerns, is now restricted to government officials and several public institutions.
DeepSeek, China's answer to OpenAI's ChatGPT, operates with far fewer resources than its American counterpart. However, the launch of a new version with reasoning capabilities in January shook financial markets and raised concerns about the shifting balance of power in AI.
Growing criticism
Despite its rapid rise, DeepSeek has faced growing criticism, particularly over built-in censorship linked to the Chinese state and potential breaches of privacy laws. Belgium, along with other European countries, has launched an investigation into the platform, while South Korea has removed the app from its local stores.
Parliamentary services confirmed that access to DeepSeek is now blocked on both Wi-Fi and wired networks within the chamber, mirroring restrictions imposed on other government services. An internal memo says the decision will be reviewed once there is greater clarity on the risks associated with the platform.
© PHOTO AFP
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