The finance ministry has issued an internal advisory that restricts the government employees to use AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official purposes.
The decision comes as part of the government's effort to safeguard confidential data and sensitive documents from potential risks posed by these tools.
The timing of the advisory is interesting as it came just ahead of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s scheduled visit to India.
The finance ministry has issued an internal advisory that restricts the government employees to use AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official purposes. The decision comes as part of the government’s effort to safeguard confidential data and sensitive documents from potential risks posed by these tools.
Survey“It has been determined that AI tools and AI apps (such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek etc.) in the office computers and devices pose risks for confidentiality of (government) data and documents,” said the advisory by the Indian finance ministry dated January 29 (via Reuters).
As AI technology continues to grow in popularity, governments around the world are beginning to raise alarms about potential data security breaches.
Also read: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to meet PM Modi this week: Here is everything we know so far
This move follows similar restrictions in countries like Australia and Italy, which have also placed similar limits on using DeepSeek because of security risks.
The timing of the advisory is interesting as it came just ahead of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s scheduled visit to India. Altman is expected to meet with India’s IT minister during his trip.
The finance ministry confirmed that the advisory was indeed genuine and was shared internally with its staff this week.
Also read: OpenAI faces legal heat in India, here’s why
The ban on AI tools follows ongoing legal challenges for OpenAI in India. The company is currently involved in a high-profile copyright infringement case with some of India’s biggest media houses. OpenAI has argued that since its servers are not located in India, the country’s courts should not hear the matter.
I believe as the use of AI tools continues to expand across various sectors, concerns about data privacy and security will likely remain a major point of discussion for governments worldwide.
Also read: Accident or cover-up? OpenAI allegedly deletes potential evidence in copyright case
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Ayushi Jain
Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile
