Pentagon Personnel Continue to Utilize DeepSeek – Bloomberg
According to Bloomberg, Pentagon personnel have been accessing an early version of the Chinese startup's AI model since the fall of 2024. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
US military personnel have reportedly utilized an early version of the Chinese startup’s AI for months.
According to Bloomberg, Pentagon staff began downloading an early version of the Chinese generative artificial intelligence model, DeepSeek, onto their workstations in the fall of 2024. The Pentagon's IT experts moved to partially block the app's usage only after its recent surge in popularity.
Earlier this month, the Chinese startup released its latest open-source AI model, R1, which its creators assert has outperformed leading products from US developers, including OpenAI’s flagship model, in certain instances. The model's accessibility, allowing anyone to download and run it on their own servers for free, has energized the open-source community and led to a sell-off of US tech stocks on Monday.
The Defense Information Systems Agency, responsible for managing the Pentagon's IT networks, took action to block access to the DeepSeek website late on Tuesday, although many defense employees had already been using the latest AI chatbot for at least two days, as reported by Bloomberg, citing unnamed US defense officials.
DISA experts are currently evaluating how extensively employees have engaged with DeepSeek through web browsers. According to the app's privacy policy, when accessed through the company’s website or its popular apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play, user data is stored on servers in China and governed by Chinese law.
Despite the restrictions in place, thousands of Pentagon employees continue to use the Chinese-trained AI through the authorized web platform Ask Sage, which offers access to multiple models, including DeepSeek, hosted on US-based servers.
Some US military personnel also began downloading an earlier version of DeepSeek onto their workstations as early as the fall of 2024, as reported by Bloomberg sources. At that time, the connection to China was reportedly “not evident” to Defense Department security teams, and the downloads did not raise immediate concerns.
The increasing interest in DeepSeek has compelled the US military to identify and remove code from China-origin chatbots on employees’ devices. The Navy has banned any use of DeepSeek, citing security and ethical considerations regarding the model’s origins. Meanwhile, the Air Force has not issued specific guidance on DeepSeek but prohibits the use of sensitive public information in commercial generative AI systems without appropriate approvals.
OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman has acknowledged that DeepSeek R1 is an “impressive model, particularly in terms of what they’re able to deliver for the price.” The Chinese startup claims it developed a competitive AI model without access to cutting-edge US chips for just $6 million.
US President Donald Trump, who has identified AI development as a critical priority for his administration, described the launch of DeepSeek as a “wake-up call” for the American AI industry. Last week, he announced Stargate, an initiative aimed at establishing data centers across the US to support future AI projects, with a targeted investment of up to $500 billion.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
According to Bloomberg, Pentagon staff began downloading an early version of the Chinese generative artificial intelligence model, DeepSeek, onto their workstations in the fall of 2024. The Pentagon's IT experts moved to partially block the app's usage only after its recent surge in popularity.
Earlier this month, the Chinese startup released its latest open-source AI model, R1, which its creators assert has outperformed leading products from US developers, including OpenAI’s flagship model, in certain instances. The model's accessibility, allowing anyone to download and run it on their own servers for free, has energized the open-source community and led to a sell-off of US tech stocks on Monday.
The Defense Information Systems Agency, responsible for managing the Pentagon's IT networks, took action to block access to the DeepSeek website late on Tuesday, although many defense employees had already been using the latest AI chatbot for at least two days, as reported by Bloomberg, citing unnamed US defense officials.
DISA experts are currently evaluating how extensively employees have engaged with DeepSeek through web browsers. According to the app's privacy policy, when accessed through the company’s website or its popular apps on the Apple App Store and Google Play, user data is stored on servers in China and governed by Chinese law.
Despite the restrictions in place, thousands of Pentagon employees continue to use the Chinese-trained AI through the authorized web platform Ask Sage, which offers access to multiple models, including DeepSeek, hosted on US-based servers.
Some US military personnel also began downloading an earlier version of DeepSeek onto their workstations as early as the fall of 2024, as reported by Bloomberg sources. At that time, the connection to China was reportedly “not evident” to Defense Department security teams, and the downloads did not raise immediate concerns.
The increasing interest in DeepSeek has compelled the US military to identify and remove code from China-origin chatbots on employees’ devices. The Navy has banned any use of DeepSeek, citing security and ethical considerations regarding the model’s origins. Meanwhile, the Air Force has not issued specific guidance on DeepSeek but prohibits the use of sensitive public information in commercial generative AI systems without appropriate approvals.
OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman has acknowledged that DeepSeek R1 is an “impressive model, particularly in terms of what they’re able to deliver for the price.” The Chinese startup claims it developed a competitive AI model without access to cutting-edge US chips for just $6 million.
US President Donald Trump, who has identified AI development as a critical priority for his administration, described the launch of DeepSeek as a “wake-up call” for the American AI industry. Last week, he announced Stargate, an initiative aimed at establishing data centers across the US to support future AI projects, with a targeted investment of up to $500 billion.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
