Background of Circular
- On January 29, the Ministry of Finance, through the Department of Expenditure (DoE), issued a circular advising government officials to avoid using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, on official devices due to concerns about data confidentiality.
- The circular emphasized that such AI tools pose a significant risk to the security of government data and documents.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance) , GS 3(Technology)
AI Tools in Focus
- The warning specifically targets ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI (whose CEO, Sam Altman, is currently visiting India), and DeepSeek, an AI tool developed in China and launched in January.
- The circular highlights the security risks posed by these AI tools, with the key concern being that they might access or expose sensitive government data.
Official Advisory
- Explicit instructions that the use of these AI applications on office devices should be strictly avoided.
- The Finance Secretary approved the decision, ensuring that the order holds official status across government departments.
Potential Threats to Confidentiality
- AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek process large amounts of data, raising concerns over the potential breach of confidential government information.
- There is fear that sensitive information entered into these AI models could be misused or accessed by unauthorized parties, leading to significant security and privacy risks.
Government’s Countermeasures
- In response to concerns over DeepSeek, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Information Technology, indicated that DeepSeek would be hosted on Indian servers soon. This would allow the government to better control data privacy and security parameters associated with the tool.
- The Indian government has previously hosted other open-source models, such as Llama, on local servers to ensure data protection.
Previous Training Initiatives
- In contrast, in October 2024, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) organized a training session for officials, including those at the Joint Secretary level, on using ChatGPT-4 Plus.
- The training was intended to familiarize officials with AI tools but did not appear to address the security risks that have now prompted the recent circular.
Future of AI in Government
- The current stance on AI tools reflects a cautious approach, as the government evaluates the benefits of AI alongside data privacy and security risks.
- There is likely to be a balance between harnessing AI’s potential for improving governance while mitigating any threats to national and governmental security.
Public and Institutional Reactions
- The debate surrounding AI’s role in government work raises critical questions about data sovereignty and cybersecurity. There is potential for broader discussions on how to manage the integration of AI technology while maintaining robust privacy protections.
