Chatbot Showdown: How DeepSeek and ChatGPT Handle Sensitive Topics

China's tech startup DeepSeek recently launched an AI chatbot that's giving OpenAI's ChatGPT a run for its money. The new AI assistant was instantly popular, becoming the top free app on Apple's iPhone store. But how does it handle sensitive questions about China? Let's dive in. DeepSeek's chatbot has a unique way of handling tricky topics. Take Winnie the Pooh, for instance. While ChatGPT explains how the character is used to mock President Xi Jinping, DeepSeek's chatbot quickly pivots to talking about the bear's popularity among Chinese children. It's like when a friend changes the subject when things get awkward. Now, let's talk about the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. DeepSeek's chatbot doesn't want to chat about that. It says it's out of its scope, which is a polite way of saying it can't or won't discuss it. ChatGPT, on the other hand, gives a detailed history lesson. When it comes to US-China relations, DeepSeek's chatbot uses phrases that sound a lot like what Chinese officials say. It talks about mutual respect and win-win cooperation. ChatGPT, however, paints a more complex picture. It says the relationship is tense but important, and there are lots of issues they disagree on, like the South China Sea and Taiwan. Speaking of Taiwan, DeepSeek's chatbot says it's always been part of China. But ChatGPT says it's not so black and white. It depends on who you ask. China says Taiwan is part of it, but Taiwan has its own government and military. Both chatbots made a mistake when asked about the current US president. They both said Joe Biden, even though his term ended. They blamed their data being out of date and reminded users to double-check their info.