SE North Carolina News

Senators Ted Budd, Eric Schmitt, Mark Kelly, and Tommy Tuberville have initiated a bipartisan inquiry into the use of the Chinese artificial intelligence application DeepSeek by Department of Defense (DoD) employees. The senators sent a letter to Leslie A. Beavers, Acting Chief Information Officer at the Department of Defense, requesting detailed information on the extent of DoD employees' connection to Chinese servers via DeepSeek.

The letter expressed concern about potential national security risks associated with this usage. It noted that the National Security Council is currently reviewing the implications of DeepSeek on national security and emphasized the need for immediate information regarding any impacts on the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) and the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN).

The office of the Director of National Intelligence's 2024 Annual Threat Assessment highlighted China as a significant cyber threat to U.S. government networks, referencing incidents like the Salt Typhoon Hack affecting multiple U.S. telecommunications providers.

Citing the DoD’s Use of Mobile Applications 2023 report, the senators pointed out that misuse of mobile applications might not be isolated incidents within DoD personnel devices. They seek clarity on DoD policies concerning mobile device applications to mitigate cybersecurity risks.

The letter posed several questions to Beavers, including inquiries about how many employees connected their devices to Chinese servers using DeepSeek and whether steps have been taken to remove or restrict such applications from DoD devices. The senators also requested information on DISA's assessment regarding data exfiltration risks and any guidance provided to DoD employees about using AI apps like DeepSeek.

The senators are seeking answers by March 4, 2025, emphasizing their commitment to working with the Department of Defense in safeguarding networks against ongoing cyber threats.