Finance Ministry has directed its employees to avoid using AI-powered tools, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, for official work, citing risks to the confidentiality of government documents and data, reported news agency Reuters.
The directive, reportedly issued through an internal advisory dated 29 January, underscores growing concerns over data security and the potential exposure of sensitive government information to external AI platforms.
“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,” the finance ministry’s advisory stated.
The development comes just a day before OpenAI chief Sam Altman’s scheduled visit to India on 7 February, during which he is expected to meet IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Reports of the advisory surfaced on social media on Tuesday (4 January), fuelling speculation about the Indian government’s stance on AI regulation.
India’s decision follows similar restrictions imposed by countries like Australia and Italy, which have banned DeepSeek over data security risks.
Three finance ministry officials confirmed the authenticity of the advisory to Reuters, adding that it was circulated internally this week. However, it remains unclear whether similar bans have been issued by other Indian ministries.
The advisory comes at a time when OpenAI is facing legal troubles in India, particularly a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by top Indian media houses.
In court filings, OpenAI has argued that it does not have servers in India and that Indian courts should not hear the case.
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