US government tells federal agencies to get rid of DeepSeek AI

On Monday, the US Department of Homeland Security issued a directive mandating that all federal civilian agencies eliminate DeepSeek technology from their operations. This order requires the removal of any existing implementations and prohibits the use of all DeepSeek-affiliate products. Furthermore, the mandate extends to third-party services and products that were developed using DeepSeek technology.

The scope of this directive presents significant technical challenges, as it remains uncertain which external services utilize the China-based AI. Specifically, the order creates ambiguity regarding API integrations and AI gateways, such as Vercel AI Gateway or OpenRouter, which may automatically route requests to DeepSeek models. This development highlights a critical need for organizations to conduct thorough audits of their software supply chains. To mitigate risks, businesses must verify the actual capabilities, data usage, and safety protocols of any AI tools they implement.