The multifaceted use of DeepSeek among Chinese youth (original) (raw)

A shop owner in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, showcases a multilingual promotional video generated by DeepSeek and other artificial intelligence tools on February 25 (XINHUA)

For Xie Hui, a 30-year-old professional in Beijing, getting a good night's sleep can sometimes be a struggle. With thoughts about career choices, relationship challenges and other pressures of adult life swirling in her mind, peace at bedtime is often elusive. When talking to friends or family is not convenient, Xie has turned to artificial intelligence (AI) tools for comfort—especially since the launch earlier this year of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's chatbot app, which has quickly become popular in the AI landscape.

"It's reassuring to know that I can express my feelings without fear of judgment. It's not a replacement for real conversations, but it definitely helps me feel less alone in navigating life's challenges," Xie told Beijing Review. She added that this open and free mode of communication made her more willing to express her true feelings, helping her uncover the root causes of her problems.

The trend of reaching out to AI for support is gaining momentum among young adults in China. Many have shared their experiences online, highlighting how the technology has provided unique and valuable insights for navigating the complexities of modern life. Increasingly, young people are turning to DeepSeek to fulfill a variety of needs, including emotional counseling, future life insights or even lottery number guesses and stock market predictions.

Beyond merely addressing issues, Chinese youth are exploring AI for fun and entertainment as well. They engage with AI chatbots to uncover creative insights, generate playful content and enjoy interactive experiences. By offering both assistance and enjoyment, AI is valued as a tool that helps them live their lives more fully.

Emotional comfort

From relationships to careers and social interactions, young people are increasingly turning to AI chat tools like DeepSeek for advice and console.

For example, when Xie asked the app what to do about her work pressure, it encouraged her to analyze the reasons behind her stress, suggesting that she might be "someone with high self-expectations, pursuing work not only to complete tasks, but also to achieve self-improvement."

After consulting with the AI, she noticed a gradual change in her mindset. In just a few weeks, she learned how to balance work and rest more effectively and gradually became less anxious about work pressure.

Many users are sharing DeepSeek's responses that resonate with them on social media platforms like Xiaohongshu (RedNote). When asked how to cope with emotional pain, the app has offered insights like, "The fact that you can feel pain shows you have a strong capacity for self-reflection, which is quite rare," and "You don't need to handle every emotion perfectly. What's important is not to let the fear of sadness take away your right to choose your future. You're more resilient than you think, and true love shouldn't keep you in self-doubt for long."

"I never expected to receive such comforting responses when talking to an AI," Xie said, reflecting the sentiments of many young people who have found solace in technology.

Shanghai-based psychologist Wu Sihui believes that while AI can provide helpful support, it lacks the human qualities essential for effective counseling. "For example, counseling involves complex communication, including non-verbal cues and the subtleties of tone and body language, which AI cannot fully grasp," Wu told Beijing Review.

"Despite its limitations, I do think AI can provide clients with immediate access to information and coping strategies, serving as a supplementary tool alongside traditional therapy," Wu added.

In addition to using DeepSeek as a trusted confidant, more and more young people are turning to the chatbot for tips to find their "ideal partner." The app analyzes users' strengths and weaknesses in dating, identifies target demographics, suggests strategies for engagement, provides relationship-building techniques, and offers risk management suggestions, and even presents a detailed timeline for execution.

Though young people appreciate AI as a powerful relationship advisor, Wu offered some cautionary notes.

"While using DeepSeek for matchmaking can help people avoid certain risks and offer valuable advice, outdated data and limited information could trap users in a narrow mindset filled with stereotypes," Wu said.

Posts on social media platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote) show users asking DeepSeek for mental health advice (SCREENSHOT)

Financial advisor?

DeepSeek's rise has ignited an "AI gold rush" online, where people are exploring new ways to earn extra money in lottery or stock market. Many who have tried DeepSeek believe that it can employ sophisticated algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns that may not be immediately visible to the human eye. By processing historical records, user-generated inputs, and real-time market data, DeepSeek offers insights that help users make more informed investment choices.

Some users also shared AI's suggestions on winning lottery numbers. The hashtag "Won the lottery using DeepSeek" surged to the top of trending topics on China's social media platform Weibo on February 11, sparking widespread discussion among netizens eager to learn more about this AI-driven approach.

However, the following day, China Sports Lottery published an article on its social media account cautioning against the notion that AI can predict winning lottery numbers. "Each draw is independent, and the winning numbers are generated randomly, making predictions impossible," the article stated.

The account further emphasized, "Using AI to choose numbers is essentially the same as using a random selection; both methods generate a set of numbers randomly, and the odds of winning are the same as if we chose the numbers ourselves. Anyone claiming that AI can predict winning numbers is misleading."

Financial commentator Guo Shiliang has utilized DeepSeek to analyze industry investment opportunities and individual stocks. He points out that the model sometimes expresses opinions cautiously and often recommends multiple companies within the same sector.

"If it only recommends a single company's stock, it could mislead investors. The design of the model takes such risks into account, emphasizing the importance of careful interpretation of its insights," Guo told Beijing Daily newspaper. "While DeepSeek's advice on stock trading and lottery buying can be regarded as a reference, it should not be overly relied upon."

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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