Since DeepSeek’s launch, a swathe of Chinese companies — from automakers to appliance firms — have joined the frenzy to incorporate the homegrown artificial intelligence model into their products and services.
DeepSeek’s reasoning model, R1, and large language model, V3, have achieved performance levels comparable to those of leading Western competitors but at a much lower cost, the company has said.
The rush to adopt DeepSeek by both the private and public sectors reflects a broader mindset in China that its next competitive edge in AI is in finding many practical uses, experts said.
“The government, companies, and investors in China share a common belief that China’s AI opportunity lies more in AI applications — services built on top of AI — rather than solely trying to make models larger to improve performance,” Tilly Zhang, a technology analyst at Beijing-based research firm Gavekal Dragonomics, told Rest of World.
“China is now competing with U.S. companies on who can better utilize available AI models,” she said.
Here are five sectors that have been at the forefront of DeepSeek adoption, including in some unusual applications, since its launch in January.
Automobiles
More than 20 Chinese automobile brands have announced plans to embed DeepSeek models, according to local news reports. Much of the adoption appears to be focused on improving existing AI features, including voice control, high-precision mapping, and smartphone-like access to music, web search, and messaging services.
Geely Auto, the second-largest Chinese carmaker by sales, said its latest models can understand even vague instructions by drivers, thanks to DeepSeek. A promotional video shows a driver saying “I’m a bit tired” to the car’s AI system. The DeepSeek-powered bot then instructs the car to close its windows, tilt the car seat to a 125-degree angle, dim the light, and set an alarm to ring in 35 minutes so the driver can nap.
Chinese automaker Geely said its latest models would incorporate DeepSeek in their existing in-car AI model to offer a more human-like response to driver commands.
The Chinese EV industry will benefit as DeepSeek elevates the consumer experience of its products, making its cars even more attractive globally. China is already competitive in the EV manufacturing chain, including the production of lithium batteries and robotics, Grace Shao, founder of AI-industry newsletter AI Proem, told Rest of World.
“Chinese EV market leaders have all their ducks in a row, and now DeepSeek is accessible to them, perfectly positioning them to excel as the various components come together along the supply chain,” Shao said.
Smartphones
China’s top five smartphone sellers have all adopted DeepSeek in their system updates.
Huawei used the R1 model to upgrade its Siri-like AI assistant, Xiaoyi. The chatbot allows users to pick whether they want their requests to be answered with “automatic deep thinking” or “quick and short responses.” The other big Chinese smartphone makers — Oppo, Honor, Vivo, Xiaomi — have made similar moves by incorporating functions backed by R1, such as text and video creation, and web search.
“We expected that it would take two years to educate the public about [the use] of AI … but now everyone knows about AI because of DeepSeek. This is a very good thing for us,” Oppo’s chief product officer, Liu Zuohu, told Shanghai-based media outlet Guancha.
Home Appliances
China’s biggest home appliances company, Midea, has launched a series of DeepSeek-enhanced air conditioners. The product is an “understanding friend” who can “catch your thoughts accurately,” according to the company’s product launch video.
It can respond to users’ verbal expressions — such as “I am feeling cold” — by automatically adjusting temperature and humidity levels, and can “chat and gossip” using its DeepSeek-supported voice function, according to Midea. For those looking for more DeepSeek-powered electronics, there are also vacuum cleaners and fridges.
While DeepSeek is helping Chinese appliance makers upgrade voice interactions to better understand users’ intentions, most AI devices are “not so efficient yet,” Zhang, the technology analyst, told Rest of World.
“Through using a very well-known name like DeepSeek, it could spark consumers’ interest to try more AI-powered products, while companies work on improving their AI functions to be more efficient in the future,” she said.
Health care
Nearly 100 hospitals around China have announced they will adopt DeepSeek in their operations, according to a report from Beijing-based online publication Economic Observer News. The applications include supporting diagnostic and treatment processes, analysis of medical imaging, quality control for medical records, and research on new drug uses.
The quick and widespread adoption has, however, raised concern. Health authorities in the southern Chinese province of Hunan issued a warning against “using AI to generate prescriptions” in February, when hospitals started announcing their DeepSeek adoption plans. In 2022, the National Health Commission banned the use of AI to “replace” health care personnel in diagnosing patients; all prescriptions need to be authorized by clinical professionals.
Government agencies
DeepSeek has been adopted at different levels of Chinese government institutions.
The southern tech hub of Shenzhen was one of the first to use DeepSeek in its government’s internal systems, according to a report from financial publication Caixin. Shenzhen’s Longgang county reported “great improvement in efficiency” after adopting DeepSeek in a system used by 20,000 government workers. The documents written by DeepSeek have achieved a 95% accuracy rate, and there has been a 90% reduction in the time taken for administrative approval processes, it said.
Chinese media have hailed DeepSeek for saving the day in the city of Wuhan. When the police received a report that five stray horses had been wandering around at night, they asked the chatbot for information on nearby horse farms. Officials were able to locate the owner by visiting the farms DeepSeek suggested.
Chinese institutions are adopting DeepSeek not only to improve their services but to also signal their support for the government’s goals, Chen Li, an analyst from Beijing-based think tank Anbound, told Rest of World.
“China has long identified AI as a strategic focus for China’s future development, and wants to be a global leader in this area … so pushing for government institutions and offices to adopt AI is a very natural step toward hitting a bigger goal,” Chen said.
