A recent study by Harmonic Security reveals that nearly 8% of employees in the UK and US utilize Chinese generative AI tools in the workplace, with DeepSeek being the most popular, accounting for 85% of usage. Among 1,059 users, there were 535 incidents of sensitive data exposure, including code, mergers, personally identifiable information (PII), and financial data. Alastair Paterson, CEO of Harmonic Security, warns that any data shared with these platforms could be treated as property of the Chinese Communist Party, raising serious legal and compliance concerns. While these powerful tools may surpass US alternatives, blocking them is ineffective as employees seek workarounds. Paterson advocates for educating staff on the risks and providing sanctioned alternatives, noting that implementing light-touch policies can reduce sensitive data exposure by up to 72% while boosting AI adoption by 300%. Organizations must prioritize security without stifling innovation.
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