India’s finance ministry has advised its employees against using AI tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official work, citing concerns over the confidentiality of government data and documents, according to an internal advisory.
Similar restrictions on DeepSeek have been implemented in countries like Australia and Italy over data security risks. Reports of the advisory surfaced on social media on Tuesday, just ahead of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s scheduled visit to India on Wednesday, during which he is expected to meet the IT minister.
“The use of AI tools and applications (such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek, etc.) on office computers and devices poses risks to the confidentiality of government data and documents,” stated the advisory issued by the finance ministry on January 29.
India’s finance ministry, along with representatives from OpenAI and DeepSeek, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Three finance ministry officials confirmed the advisory’s authenticity, stating it was circulated internally this week.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is under scrutiny in India due to an ongoing copyright infringement case filed by major Indian media houses. In court filings, OpenAI has argued that it does not operate servers in India and that Indian courts should not have jurisdiction over the case.
With inputs from Reuters
