Benesch Partner Aslam Rawoof was quoted in a recent article published in American Banker regarding the growing concerns surrounding the DeepSeek artificial intelligence technology. Rawoof expressed a cautious perspective, highlighting the political climate and the protectionist sentiment against the Chinese government, noting that even in the absence of immediate security risks, companies could face consequences due to these broader geopolitical dynamics. "Even if there is no real security concern, the political environment today is very negative toward the Chinese government and very much in favor of an America-first approach," Rawoof remarked.
Rawoof also raised concerns about the transparency of the technology itself. He emphasized that DeepSeek, being an early-stage technology, operates with a level of opacity, especially regarding how its models process and train data. "Once data is provided, it’s sort of a black box, and how it will be used, and until there’s clarity, banks should be careful," he cautioned, urging financial institutions to exercise caution as they navigate these uncharted waters.
You can read the full article on American Banker here.