Your next iPhone might come with DeepSeek AI, but another country bans it

Ah, yes: Apple Intelligence! Apple's AI suite was promised to blow us away in 2024, but that didn't quite happen, so we're hoping for 2025 to be The Year. Or 2026. We can wait. That's irony, just to be clear.

The AI topic is incredibly sensitive for the Cupertino giant. You may or may not know this, but Apple is having trouble selling as many iPhones in China as it wants to.

In order to do so (and do it fast), Apple needs to incorporate AI to some degree in its iPhones. The competitors are doing it.

Elsewhere, Apple Intelligence is powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, but the problem is that ChatGPT remains unavailable in China. Government approval is a must for generative AI services.

That's why it's no surprise that:

• Apple is reportedly excited to power Apple Intelligence with DeepSeek

Apple is reportedly testing DeepSeek (Chinese AI model) to bring Apple Intelligence to China; this is the way for Cupertino to bypass the regulatory issues that have blocked its usual AI systems. This move is important, as iPhone sales in the region are hurt by local competitors.

So, depending on where you get your iPhone from, it could very well come with DeepSeek AI. Would that bother you? Especially in the light of DeepSeek being banned by yet another country.

DeepSeek's rapid rise caused a stock market panic in late January, wiping out billions from major tech companies and investors. Its low-cost AI capabilities have sparked concerns in the West, with some questioning the high costs of existing AI models.

First, it was Italy that banned DeepSeek over data privacy concerns, blocking it from app stores and launching an investigation into its data practices.

Now, it's Taiwan that puts the kibosh on DeepSeek. Taiwan officially banned all government agencies from using the DeepSeek AI service on Monday, citing security risks.

Of course, Taiwan has a history of being cautious about its neighbor's technology due to disputes and various claims. Premier Cho Jung-tai announced the ban during a cabinet meeting, emphasizing the need to protect the country's information security.

Last Friday, Taiwan's digital ministry had warned government departments not to use DeepSeek but had stopped short of an outright ban. Now, the prohibition is official, aligning Taiwan with other countries like South Korea, France, Italy, and Ireland, which are also scrutinizing DeepSeek's handling of personal data.