The government has urged public officials to exercise caution when using generative AI apps, including Chinese AI program DeepSeek amid criticism that they excessively collect user information.

According to the interior ministry on Wednesday, it sent an official document to the central and 17 local governments the previous day, calling for caution against DeepSeek, ChatGPT and other programs.

Although the ministry did not ban use of such AI apps, it urged officials not to share personal information and not to trust all of the results from searches using the programs.

The National Intelligence Service(NIS), is reported to have separately sent a similar official notice to agencies at different levels.

While countries like Australia and Japan are pushing to impose restrictions on DeepSeek usage, public and private companies in South Korea, such as Kakao and the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company(KHNP), have banned their use.

The AI app developer DeepSeek has yet to respond to a request by South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission to verify methods of its personal information collection, procedures, management and storage.