The Chinese government has embarked on an all-out drive to transition AI from a theoretical concept into tangible real-world applications across various sectors, including factories, hospitals, and government offices, according to reports by the Washington Post. This initiative is part of an effort by Beijing to bridge the technological gap with the United States by aggressively promoting AI adoption in both the government and private sectors. The strategy is described as an alternative playbook, positioning China as a formidable competitor in the global AI landscape.
Recent procurement documents reveal that DeepSeek, an AI model, has been in operation for six months, undertaking a wide array of government tasks. Military hospitals in Shaanxi and Guangxi provinces have specifically requested DeepSeek to develop online consultation and health record systems. Local government websites indicate that state organs are utilizing DeepSeek for tasks such as diverting public calls and streamlining police operations. In Inner Mongolia, a city government stated that DeepSeek aids in quickly discovering case clues and predicting crime trends, significantly improving the accuracy and timeliness of crime fighting. Anti-corruption investigations, a priority under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, are another prominent use case for DeepSeek, with models being employed to analyze spreadsheets to uncover suspicious irregularities. In April, China’s primary anti-graft agency even recommended a book titled Efficiently Using DeepSeek on its official book list.
Alfred Wu, an expert on China’s public governance at the National University of Singapore, highlighted that Beijing has issued a top-down directive to local governments to adopt AI. This directive is driven by the aim to enhance AI capabilities amidst a fierce competition with Washington, by granting models access to extensive government data. However, not all experts are convinced of China’s winning strategy. Scott Singer, an expert on China’s AI sector at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that China’s sluggish economy may hinder the AI industry’s growth and access to funding. Others argue that the widespread promotion of DeepSeek by local governments may be more about signaling progress than actual technological uptake. Shen Yang, a professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Artificial Intelligence, questioned the scalability of DeepSeek in anti-corruption work due to the sensitivity of cases and the complex approval processes required for deploying new tools in these investigations.