Those that have listened to me, or read my reviews and writing over many years would know that I’m the last one to sound the “China is listening” alarm, in fact I think most of the anti-China rhetoric specifically around Huawei and TikTok is unfounded and is nothing more than xenophobic politics. Today, a new app is in the news for all the right reasons but it could all turn wrong very fast thanks to the Chinese influence on that app – it’s called DeepSeek AI and it’s #1 on the App Store right now.
Thanks to the huge growth in this app, #1 on Apple App Store and over 1 Million downloads on Google Play Store, the stock market has tumbled as investors flee big AI stocks like Google, Microsoft and NVidia.
So I thought I’d take a look.
It is indeed, impressive.
Sign up for an account, it’s free, and ask away, chat away. I asked it about some things to do in LA with kids and it gave me 20 options – including a Dodger Stadium Tour, so it knows it’s stuff.
But, when I asked it if the Chinese Government could access my chat history – it gave me an answer, then deleted it.
I’ve not been able to replicate that deleted answer action again in a separate session, but it happened several times in one chat thread. Instead now I get a placeholder message about company legal standing.
Dig deeper though, and you realise using this app is like living in China. Ask it about Tiananmen Square in 1989? Nope, it won’t answer.
Who is Tank Man?
Won’t answer.
Chat GPT has no issues.
And it’s ethics aren’t related to stories of disasters or death, DeepSeek will happily explain 9/11 or other major events.
Should Taiwan have independence? According to DeepSeek – well, here you go:
ChatGPT is far more open and explains the complex issues.
AI should not have a view, AI should not have an opinion – it should be a source of knowledge and information.
It seems very clear that this one is deeply linked to the Chinese ethos and aimed at the Chinese people.
But here we are, banning TikTok – ridiculous.
For the record, search Tank Man on TikTok – here’s what you get:
My Advice, stick to ChatGPT.
Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.
He produces and hosts several popular podcasts, EFTM, Two Blokes Talking Tech, Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars, The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, and the Private Feed. He is the resident tech expert for Triple M on radio across Australia, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show and appears regularly on 9 News, A Current Affair and Sky News Early Edition.
Father of three, he is often found in his Man Cave.
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