DeepSeek, the AI-Powered Chatbot, Spreads Chinese Propaganda and Disinformation
A Concerning Development in the World of AI
If you’re among the millions of people who have downloaded DeepSeek, the free new chatbot from China powered by artificial intelligence, know this: The answers it gives you will largely reflect the worldview of the Chinese Communist Party.
Spreading Propaganda and Disinformation
Since the tool made its debut this month, researchers testing its capabilities have found that the answers it gives not only spread Chinese propaganda but also parrot disinformation campaigns that China has used to undercut its critics around the world.
A Disinformation Machine
In one instance, the chatbot misstated remarks by former President Jimmy Carter that Chinese officials had selectively edited to make it appear that he had endorsed China’s position that Taiwan was part of the People’s Republic of China. The example was among several documented by researchers at NewsGuard, a company that tracks online misinformation, in a Thursday report that called DeepSeek "a disinformation machine."
China’s Efforts to Sway Public Opinion
The tool’s features are raising the same concerns that have bedeviled TikTok, another hugely popular Chinese-owned app: that the tech platforms are part of China’s robust efforts to sway public opinion around the world, including in the United States.
China’s Global Information Strategy
China is able to quickly mobilize a range of actors that seed and amplify online narratives casting Beijing as surpassing the U.S. in critical areas of geopolitical competition, said Jack Stubbs, chief intelligence officer for Graphika, a digital research company. China was adept at using new technology in its information campaigns.
The Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence
Like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude or Microsoft’s Copilot, DeepSeek uses large language modeling, a way of learning skills by analyzing vast amounts of digital text culled from the internet to anticipate phrases on a subject, creating an element of unpredictability when providing answers.
Consequences of China’s Disinformation Campaigns
The tendency to "hallucinate," or make up a response that is inaccurate, irrelevant, or nonsensical, continues to afflict chatbots, including DeepSeek, according to a new report by Vectara, a company that helps others adopt A.I. tools.
Conclusion
DeepSeek’s launch has raised concerns about the potential for AI-powered chatbots to spread disinformation and propaganda. The tool’s responses have been found to mirror China’s official views 80% of the time, with a third of its responses including explicitly false claims that have been spread by Chinese officials. The consequences of these disinformation campaigns can be severe, including undermining trust in institutions, fueling conflicts, and threatening individual and collective security.
FAQs
Q: What is DeepSeek?
A: DeepSeek is a free new chatbot from China powered by artificial intelligence.
Q: What are the concerns surrounding DeepSeek?
A: The concerns surrounding DeepSeek include its potential to spread disinformation and propaganda, mirroring China’s official views and parroting disinformation campaigns that China has used to undercut its critics around the world.
Q: How does DeepSeek respond to sensitive questions?
A: DeepSeek declines to respond to sensitive questions about the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, and avoids or deflects those about other topics that are politically taboo within China.
