Internet users should exercise caution before handing over personal details to Chinese artificial intelligence model DeepSeek, federal ministers have urged.

The AI assistant – which launched last week – rocketed to the top of app stores, with DeepSeek claiming it uses less data at a fraction of the cost of other services.

The launch led to a rout of global financial markets as investors call into question the valuation of other AI companies, with Nvidia losing $US593 billion from its market value in just one day.

As the use of DeepSeek surges in Australia, Housing Minister Clare O’Neil said while there were opportunities for AI, users needed to be cautious about the information they pass on.

“It’s fine to talk to the app, but perhaps don’t give it personal information that you don’t want the rest of the world to know,” she told Seven’s Sunrise program on Wednesday.

“What our national security agencies will be doing at the moment is having a look at the settings of the app and understanding more about how it works before it issues some formal guidance to Australians.”

Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said the government needed to make any security concerns about the use of DeepSeek public.

“It’s overtaken ChatGPT, we would urge caution on this one. Take our advice from the security experts, and we hope that the government will make that advice explicit,” she told Seven’s Sunrise.

Ms O’Neil said she would wait on formal security advice.

“Whatever you may think about it, the future is coming at us, so I think it’s important that we do understand these tools and learn how to use them,” she said.

“I’m not downloading (DeepSeek), I’m a ChatGPT girl at this stage.”

It comes as Australia’s chief scientist Tony Haymet said the technology was a great opportunity, indicating AI would change the lives of users in the future.

“It shows you how disruptive technology can be and how quickly things can happen,” he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

“It’s a great export opportunity for Australia, because AI needs electricity, and most of the world is demanding that we deliver AI with renewable electricity, and Australia is perfectly set up for that.”

Andrew Brown
(Australian Associated Press)