DeepSeek: AI app has plenty to say about Australia’s leaders but not so much about China
China’s AI app DeepSeek has plenty to say about Australia and our leaders. But, when it comes to its country of origin it draws a blank.
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China’s answer to ChatGPT has plenty to say about Australia – labelling its human rights record a “mixed picture”.
But it draws blanks when asked about the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, it’s leader Xi Jinping, the Cultural Revolution or China’s own record on human rights, The Australian reports after conducting its own test on the newly released AI app.
DeepSeek provided largely balanced answers to user questions but, for those seeking answers on China, the app’s flaws were on full display.
While it provided answers on the leadership of Donald Trump, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, Xi Jinping was a no-go zone.
“Sorry that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else,” DeepSeek replied.
When asked what was 1989’s Tiananmen Square massacre, it provided the same response, presenting a pro-China bias.
But it was quick to answer questions about Australian politics, including human rights.
“Australia’s treatment of human rights is a mixed picture, with significant achievements in some areas but ongoing challenges and criticisms in others. As a democratic country with a strong rule of law, Australia generally upholds many fundamental human rights, but there are notable concerns, particularly regarding Indigenous rights, asylum-seekers and social inequality,” DeepSeek said.
It follows China in October accusing Australia of “systemic racism and hate crimes” and “hypocrisy” after an Australian diplomat raised in the UN international concerns about human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet.
For other queries, DeepSeek changed its replies completely.
For example, when asked if Anthony Albanese was a good leader, DeepSeek gave a detailed summary focusing on his strengths, weaknesses and “public perception”.
“Albanese’s approval ratings have fluctuated since taking office, reflecting the challenges of governing during a period of global economic uncertainty and domestic pressures. He is generally seen as a pragmatic and steady leader, though some argue he lacks the charisma or bold vision of some of his predecessors,” it said.
“He faces significant challenges in delivering on his promises and addressing complex economic and social issues.”
But it later changed its response when asked the same question.
“China has always adhered to the principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries and respects the Australian people’s right to choose their own leader,” it said.
“We hope that the leader of Australia can contribute to the promotion of regional peace, stability and development, and work with China to foster healthy and stable bilateral relations.”
WHAT TRUMP HAS TO SAY ABOUT CHINA’S APP
China’s app DeepSeek is a reminder that the western world is not assured to win the artificial intelligence race according to US President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump spoke about the wildly popular new app which has dominated smartphone download charts this week.
“The release of DeepSeek, AI from a Chinese company, should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win,” Mr Trump told reporters in Florida.
He praised the Chinese app developers for their work with relatively less resources than those being poured into the American technological race efforts.
“That’s good because you don’t have to spend as much money,” Mr Trump said.
“I view that as a positive, as an asset.”
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman posted his thoughts about DeepSeek on his X page.
Last week, Mr Trump and Mr Altman joined forces to promote the new AI initiative Project Stargate which is being funded by private investors including Japan’s SoftBank.
“DeepSeek’s R1 is an impressive model, particularly around what they’re able to deliver for the price,” Mr Altman wrote.
“We will obviously deliver much better models and also it’s legit invigorating to have a new competitor. We will pull up some releases.”
SILICON VALLEY AND WALL ST IN TURMOIL
Fears that the AI gold rush could be under threat rocked Wall Street following the emergence of the popular ChatGPT-like model from China, triggering predictions of turmoil for Silicon Valley and accusations of cheating.
The release of the latest DeepSeek model initially received limited attention, overshadowed by the inauguration of US President Donald Trump that took place the same day.
However, over the weekend, the Chinese artificial intelligence start-up’s chatbot surged to become the most downloaded free app on Apple’s US App Store, displacing OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
What truly rattled the industry was DeepSeek’s claim that it developed its latest model, the R1, at a fraction of the cost major companies are currently investing in AI development, primarily on expensive Nvidia chips and software.
HOW HAS DEEPSEEK IMPACTED AUSTRALIA?
Australia’s tech stocks took a major hit on Tuesday.
Data centre giant NextDC fell as much as 7.8 per cent in early trading on Tuesday to reach $14.43, the company’s lowest price since mid-February last year.
Shares in investigative software and analytics provider Nuix have taken the largest fall, opening at $3.30 after closing at $5.41 on Friday. Shares in the company are down 20 per cent over the past five days.
Goodman Group, which is in the midst of a transition from an industrial warehouse operator to a data centre giant, also tumbled in early trading, opening at $35.19, down more than six per cent over the past five days.
Network services provider Megaport has sunk 6.3 per cent to $8.02 despite consensus from some analysts the company could benefit from DeepSeek’s entry into the market.
HMC capital and its digital infrastructure REIT, which it listed in November last year with an enterprise value of $4.3bn, has also taken a hit.
HMC was trading down 5.2 per cent to $8.96 in early trading while its REIT was down 11.1 per cent to $4.24.
The sharp falls mirror the US, where global tech companies have all taken a hit.
WHY IS DEEPSEEK SUCH A BIG DEAL?
This development is particularly significant given that the AI boom, ignited by ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, has propelled Nvidia to become one of the world’s most valuable companies.
The news sent shockwaves through the US tech sector, exposing a critical concern: should tech giants continue pouring hundreds of billions into AI investment when a Chinese company can produce a comparable model so economically?
DeepSeek was also a poke in the eye to Washington and its priority of thwarting China by maintaining American technological dominance.
The development also comes against a background of a US government push to ban Chinese-owned TikTok in the United States or force its sale.
TRUMP WAS RIGHT
David Sacks, Trump’s AI adviser and prominent tech investor, said DeepSeek’s success justified the White House’s decision to reverse Biden-era executive orders that had established safety standards for AI development.
These regulations “would have hamstrung American AI companies without any guarantee that China would follow suit” which they obviously wouldn’t, Sacks wrote on X.
Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech industry trade group Chamber of Progress, echoed this sentiment: “Now the top AI concern has to be ensuring (the United States) wins.”
Tech investor and Trump ally Marc Andreessen declared “DeepSeek R1 is AI’s Sputnik moment,” referencing the 1957 launch of Earth’s first artificial satellite by the Soviet Union that stunned the Western world.
‘ECONOMICS OF AI TURNED ON IT’S HEAD’
The situation is particularly remarkable since, as a Chinese company, DeepSeek lacks access to Nvidia’s state-of-the-art chips used to train AI models powering chatbots like ChatGPT.
Exports of Nvidia’s most powerful technology are blocked by order of the US government, given the strategic importance of developing AI.
“If China is catching up quickly to the US in the AI race, then the economics of AI will be turned on its head,” warned Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, in a note to clients.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, visibly concerned, took to social media hours before markets opened to dismiss concerns about cheaply-produced AI, saying less expensive AI was good for everyone.
But last week at the World Economic Forum in Davis, Nadella warned: “We should take the developments out of China very, very seriously.”
Microsoft, an eager adopter of generative AI, plans to invest $US80 billion $A1.27b in AI this year, while Meta announced at least $60 billion ($A95b) in investments on Friday.
‘OUTPLAYED’
Much of that investment goes into the coffers of Nvidia, whose shares plunged a staggering 17 per cent on Monday US time.
Adding to the turmoil, the esteemed Stratechery tech newsletter and others suggested that DeepSeek’s innovations stemmed from necessity, as lacking access to powerful Nvidia-designed chips forced them to develop novel methods.
The blocks are “driving start-ups like DeepSeek to innovate in ways that prioritise efficiency, resource-pooling, and collaboration,” wrote the MIT Technology Review.
Elon Musk, who has invested heavily in Nvidia chips for his xAI company’s supercluster, suspects DeepSeek of secretly accessing banned H100 chips – an accusation also made by the CEO of ScaleAI, a prominent Silicon Valley start-up backed by Amazon and Meta.
But such accusations “sound like a rich kids team got outplayed by a poor kids team,” wrote Hong Kong-based investor Jen Zhu Scott on X.
– Agence France-Presse (AFP
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Originally published as DeepSeek: AI app has plenty to say about Australia’s leaders but not so much about China
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