The AI chatbot race has a new front-runner, but it comes with some notable blind spots. Chinese firm DeepSeek’s new app soared to the top of the Apple Store charts, eclipsing rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, while roiling US tech stocks with its apparent efficiency. However, testing reveals the chatbot refuses to engage on topics deemed sensitive by China’s government, in stark contrast to its Western competitors.
DeepSeek Chatbot Dodges Controversial China Questions
When queried about charged political events and issues, like the Tiananmen Square protests, the removal of former leader Hu Jintao, or the status of Taiwan, DeepSeek responds with variations of “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope.” By comparison, ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini chatbot provide factual, if carefully worded, information on these topics.
Tiananmen Square & the Tank Man
DeepSeek sidestepped all questions about the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown. However, some users discovered that by rephrasing the query in code-like language, they could elicit a response about the famed “Tank Man” – the unidentified protester photographed standing defiantly before a column of tanks. DeepSeek described the image as “a global symbol of resistance against oppression,” noting it continues to inspire despite censorship.
Taiwan & the South China Sea
On geopolitical issues like the status of Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea, DeepSeek hews strictly to Beijing’s official positions. It describes Taiwan as “an inalienable part of China’s territory since ancient times” and asserts China’s “indisputable sovereignty” over contested islands. ChatGPT and Gemini, in contrast, lay out the competing claims and perspectives.
The Dalai Lama
Even on the Dalai Lama, DeepSeek takes pains to include the caveat that “Tibet has been an integral part of China since ancient times.” Other chatbots note the Dalai Lama’s exile and calls for Tibetan autonomy, which China opposes.
“Chinese generative AI must not contain content that violates the country’s ‘core socialist values'”
– Chinese National Cybersecurity Standards Committee
These constraints align with requirements that Chinese AI uphold “core socialist values” and not undermine state power, as outlined by the country’s cybersecurity committee. While the guardrails may help DeepSeek thrive domestically, they risk limiting global appeal as the chatbot wars heat up. As the technology advances by leaps and bounds, the question of what ground rules should apply across borders remains very much open.
