The government has clarified that there is no specific prohibition on the use and adoption of AI-based tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Groke by government departments.
In a written reply to Parliament, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions however asked its employees or government functionaries to exercise due diligence and caution to ensure the safety, security, and confidentiality of public information while using these apps.
“There is no specific prohibition on the use and adoption of AI-based tools by any Government Departments as this is an emerging technology with great potential in various citizen oriented web applications. However, government functionaries are expected to exercise due diligence and caution to ensure safety, security and confidentiality of public information while using any digital technology or platforms,” said Jitender Singh, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
The clarification comes after the Ministry of Finance issued an internal advisory in January 2025, directing its employees to refrain from using AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official purposes. The advisory highlighted concerns over the potential risks to the confidentiality of government documents and data, warning that the use of such tools on office computers and devices could compromise the security of sensitive information. This move aligns with similar actions taken by other countries and companies worldwide, many of which have banned the use of AI tools in offices when handling sensitive data.
The advisory raised concerns that many AI models, including ChatGPT, process user inputs on external servers, which could lead to data leakage or unauthorized access, increasing the risk of exposure to confidential government data.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions confirmed that it does not maintain data regarding the use of AI applications by officials across various departments. However, it emphasized that the use of any application, tool, or website by government officials is governed by cybersecurity guidelines and departmental security instructions issued by relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.