SENATOR Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa expressed serious concerns Tuesday regarding the use of the Chinese AI application DeepSeek by Filipino soldiers. His concerns were voiced during a Commission on Appointments (CA) meeting considering the ad interim appointments of 36 AFP generals, flag officers, and senior officers.
Dela Rosa directly questioned Brig. Gen. Constancio Espina II, commander of the AFP Communications, Electronics and Information Systems Services, about the military’s ability to prevent soldiers from using DeepSeek, highlighting the potential national security risks. “If there is a policy prohibiting your soldiers from using this DeepSeek, how can you implement it and stop soldiers from using the app?” Dela Rosa pressed.
Espina responded that all official information and communications within the AFP should be conducted solely through a secure network the AFP is providing. However, this response did not fully address Dela Rosa’s concerns about the widespread use of DeepSeek amongst soldiers.
Reports indicate that DeepSeek recently surpassed the American AI chatbot ChatGPT as the top downloaded free app in the Philippines during the last week of January. This surge in popularity has alarmed national security experts, particularly given China’s requirement that domestic firms share data with the Chinese government. This data-sharing mandate raises significant concerns about the potential for sensitive military information to be compromised.
Dela Rosa’s questioning highlights the growing anxieties surrounding the use of foreign-developed AI applications, especially those originating from countries with potentially conflicting national interests. The incident underscores the need for clear guidelines and robust security protocols to protect sensitive information within the AFP and prevent potential breaches of national security. The CA hearing served as a platform to bring these concerns to the forefront, demanding greater transparency and accountability from the AFP regarding its technological security measures.
