India's finance ministry has banned the use of artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, in official work due to concerns over data security and confidentiality, according to a recent report by Reuters.

As per an internal advisory issued on January 29, employees have been instructed to avoid using AI applications on office computers and devices, states the report.

According to Reuters, the Indian advisory, confirmed by three finance ministry officials, warns that AI tools pose risks to the security of government data and documents. While the restrictions apply specifically to the finance ministry, it remains unclear whether similar measures have been implemented across other government departments.

This decision aligns with actions taken by other governments, such as Australia and Italy, which have also restricted the use of AI tools like DeepSeek over data privacy concerns. The advisory surfaced online just ahead of a scheduled visit to India by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who is expected to meet with the country's IT minister on Wednesday, further adds the Reuters report.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is currently facing a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by several of India's leading media houses. In its legal defence, OpenAI has argued that it does not operate servers in India and that local courts lack jurisdiction over the case, as per previous reports.

Representatives for India's finance ministry, OpenAI, and DeepSeek have not yet responded to requests for comment from Reuters.