In brief
In an intriguing examination of DeepSeek's A.I. chatbot, journalist Vivian Wang tests its ability to communicate under China's stringent censorship, highlighting both its advancements and limitations.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, one platform that has sparked debate is DeepSeek, a chatbot developed by a Chinese company. Questions have arisen about how it handles the notorious restrictions posed by China's Great Firewall. I took the opportunity to investigate firsthand.Residing in China, I signed up for DeepSeek’s chatbot using a Chinese phone number and Internet connection, thus navigating directly within the confines of China's heavily regulated online landscape. To my astonishment, the depth of the chatbot's responses was intriguing in comparison to other national platforms, which often shy away from sensitive subjects.On certain occasions, DeepSeek provided information that typically faces quick suppression on domestic platforms, only to retract its statements. Its functionality included a feature where the bot thoughtfully deliberates before responding, allowing for potentially valuable insights to emerge, particularly if one paid close attention before the bot expunged its remarks.Conversely, my interaction also reflected the limitations common in online experiences in China as certain topics remained strictly off-limits. It appeared that the developers of DeepSeek are actively working to seal any gaps in censorship, although the team could not be reached for additional commentary about this matter.I conducted similar inquiries utilizing methods to bypass the Great Firewall, only to discover that the responses were virtually unchanged, indicating a potential uniform experience for users regardless of their location. Should DeepSeek gain significant traction globally, its operation could inadvertently help disseminate narratives aligned with Beijing's perspectives. Such a scenario raises further concerns about the implications of Chinese-controlled A.I. on global discourse.
