India's finance ministry has asked its employees to avoid using AI tools including ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official purposes, citing risks posed to confidentiality of government documents and data, an internal department advisory showed.

On February 1, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to deliver her eighth consecutive Union Budget. Under British administration, James Wilson introduced income tax and fiscal changes in 1860,

India’s finance ministry, along with representatives from OpenAI and DeepSeek, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The finance ministry has advised employees against using AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official work due to confidentiality risks associated with government documents and data, according to an internal advisory.

India's finance ministry has instructed its employees to refrain from using AI tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official work, citing concerns over the confidentiality and security

“It has been determined that AI tools and AI apps in the officer computers and devices pose risks for confidentiality of government data and documents, It is, therefore, advised that use of AI Tools/AI Apps in office devices may strictly be avoided,” a communication from Expenditure Department, dated January 29, said.

The move comes at a time when countries like Australia and Italy have shielded their official systems from Chinese DeepSeek over privacy and data safety concerns.

India's finance ministry advised employees to avoid AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek due to confidentiality risks. Similar actions have been taken by other countries, including Australia and Italy.

Officers and staff in the finance ministry have been asked not to download or use AI tools, such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek in their office computers as they pose confidentiality risks to official data and documents.