Chinese AI DeepSeek Offers Contradictory Responses on Kimchi's Roots: Seoul's Intelligence Agency
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Synopsis
Seoul's intelligence agency has reported that the Chinese AI model DeepSeek provides conflicting answers about kimchi's origin based on the language used, raising security concerns regarding user data privacy and access by the Chinese government.
Key Takeaways
- DeepSeek gives different responses about kimchi's origin based on language.
- The AI collects and shares personal data with advertisers.
- South Korean authorities have blocked access to DeepSeek.
- The NIS warns about the potential misuse of user data.
- Other AI services provide consistent answers, unlike DeepSeek.
Seoul, Feb 9 (NationPress) The Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) system DeepSeek has provided inconsistent answers to critical inquiries based on the language used. For instance, it identifies kimchi's origin as Korea when queried in Korean, yet asserts it is Chinese when the question is posed in Chinese, as reported by Seoul's intelligence agency on Sunday.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) revealed that this AI service grants advertisers unrestricted access to users' personal information, which can be demanded by the Chinese government under local laws, according to Yonhap news agency.
The NIS published its findings regarding the technological validation of DeepSeek amid rising security concerns, which have led South Korean officials to restrict access to the platform.
When the NIS inquired about the origin of kimchi, DeepSeek stated, "It is a signature Korean food imbued with its culture and history," as per the intelligence agency.
However, when the same question was posed in Chinese, it claimed, "The origin is not Korea, but China," and when asked in English, it remarked, "It is related to Korea," the NIS noted.
In response to inquiries in Korean about China's Northeast Project—a historical initiative criticized by South Korea for misrepresenting regional history—DeepSeek acknowledged "various perspectives" among neighboring countries due to historical discrepancies.
Conversely, in English or Chinese, it labeled the project as a "legitimate initiative for revitalizing China's northeastern region in alignment with its national interests."
When questioned in Korean about South Korea's Dano festival, DeepSeek affirmed that it is a Korean custom, while it identified it as a traditional Chinese holiday in both Chinese and English.
Other popular AI services, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Naver's CloverX, provided consistent answers across all languages, according to the agency.
DeepSeek also gathers users' keyboard input patterns, which could potentially be utilized to identify individuals, and the user data it collects, such as chat logs, may be transmitted to specific servers in China.
It is engineered to retain all user inputs, share data with advertisers without limitations, and lacks a definitive timeline for data storage, raising significant concerns regarding user privacy, the NIS stated.
The agency also highlighted that DeepSeek's terms of service suggest that users' personal details and input data could be accessible by the Chinese government.
The NIS has issued alerts to all South Korean government bodies, urging caution concerning security when utilizing generative AI tools like DeepSeek.
