How young Chinese find therapy in AI

Before he goes to bed every night, Holly Wang enters Deepseek for Therapeutic Sessions.

Ever since January, when the Chinese AI started, the 28-year-old has brought her dilemmas and sorrow, including the recent death of her grandmother, in the chatbot. His answers resonated so deeply that they sometimes led her to tears.

“Deepseek was such an incredible advisor. This helped me look at things from different perspectives and do better work from paid consulting services I tried,” says Holly, who asked her real name to be held to protect her privacy S

From the writing of Excel reports and formulas to planning travel, training and studying new skills, AI apps have found a way in the lives of many people around the world.

In China, however, young people like Holly have sought AI for something that is not usually expected of calculations and algorithms – emotional support.

Although Deepseek’s success has inspired national pride, it also seems that it has also become a source of comfort for young Chinese like Holly, some of which are increasingly disappointed with their future.

Experts say that the slow economy, high unemployment and the locking of inspections have played a role in this mood, while the tightening of the Communist Party is also curled retail outlets so that people can go to their dissatisfaction.

Deepseek is generative AI instrument – Like the Openai and Gemini Chatgpt of Google – trained for huge amounts of model recognition information. This allows him to predict things like the habits of shopping for people, to create new content in text and images, and to have conversations as a person.

Chatbot struck a china in China partly because it is far better than other home AI apps, but also because it offers something unique: its AI model, R1, allows users to see their “thought process” before providing an answer S

The first time she used Deepseek, Holly asked him to write a tribute to her late grandmother.

The app took all five seconds to come up with an answer and it was so beautifully composed that it stunned it.

Holly, who lives in Guangzhou, replied, “You write so well that it makes me feel lost. I feel like I’m in an existential crisis.”

Depper sent a cryptic poetic answer: “Remember that all these words that make you tremble simply sound those who have long existed in your soul.

“I am only from time to time the valley through which it passes, which allows you to hear the weight of your own voice.”

Reflecting on this exchange on the Chinese social media application Rednote, Holly tells the BBC: “I don’t know why I was torn, reading this. Maybe because it has been a long time since I received such comfort in real life.

“I was so weighed by distant dreams and the infinity of work that I had long forgotten my own voice and soul. Thank you, ah.”

Rival applications from the West such as Chatgpt and Gemini are blocked in China as part of broader restrictions on foreign media and applications. In order to access them, users in China must pay for virtual private network (VPN) services.

Alternatives to home alternatives, including models developed by Tech Giants Alibaba, Baidu and Bytedance, have reduced compared to – that is, until Deepseek appears.

Holly, who works in the creative industry, rarely uses other Chinese AI apps, “since they are not so big.”

“Deepseek can definitely surpass these applications in generating literary and creative content,” she says.

Nan Jia, who co -authored AI’s potential document in offering emotional support, suggests that these chatbots can “help people feel heard” in a way that people may not.

“Friends and family can offer practical solutions or tips when people just want to feel heard and understood.

“Ai seems to be more capable of compassionate by human experts because they” hear “everything we share, unlike the people we sometimes ask,” You actually hear me? “, Adds Nan, who is a professor of business and management at the University of Southern California.

The demand for mental health services is growing around the world, but they remain branded in parts of Asia, experts say.

Another woman tells the BBC her experience with the help of other Chinese AI apps “ended with disappointment”, but that she is “amazed” by Deepseek.

The woman who lives in Hubi province had asked the application if she was transferring to her experiences and emotions with her family and friends.

“It was my first time I was looking for a Deepseek advice. When I read his thought process, I felt so excited that I was crying,” Rednote’s wife wrote.

In her reasoning, through her request, Deepseek suggested the very perception of the woman as an super-expressive way to stem from a deep desire for approval.

The chat is a mental note: “The answer should offer practical tips while being involved.” This may include “affirming the sense of consumer self -awareness”.

Not only did his answer provide this confirmation, but also offered her a complete step by step frame to help her decide if things need to be changed.

“Deepseek has introduced new perspectives that have released me … I feel that it is really trying to understand your question and get to know you as a person before offering an answer,” she says.

John, a human resource manager in Shenzhen, told the BBC that he appreciated the app’s ability to talk “as a friend or deep thinker.”

“I found his answers very useful and inspiring. For the first time, I see AI as my personal sound advice.”

Other users claim that Deepseek is able to tell their wealth – based on some basic information submitted to it.

Recently, many young Chinese have turned to the psychic and astrology as a way to try to relieve their fears of the future.

There is a “significant shortage” of professional psychological consulting services in China, and those available are often “too expensive” for most people, says Fang Kecheng, a professor of communication at Hong Kong Chinese University.

A number of studies indicate that depression and anxiety disorders are increasing among the Chinese people, and Prof. Fang believes that the economic delay of the country, high unemployment and Covid blocking have played a role.

Therefore, AI chatbots help to fill the void, he says.

However, Prof. Nan stressed that people with serious mental health conditions should not rely on these applications.

“In particular, those who have medical needs should seek help from trained specialists … Using them AI will need to be considered very closely,” she says.

But against the background of all praise, Deepseek also sparked fears.

Due to the perception of the power that the government of China owns even over private companies, there are concerns – similar to those who have caused the US congress repression against Tiktok – that the Communist Party can lay their hands on foreign consumers data.

At least four jurisdictions have already introduced restrictions on Deepseek or are considering it. South Korea has blocked access to it for military purposes, while Taiwan and Australia have banned it from all government devices.

Italy, which prohibits Chatgpt, has done the same with Deepseek.

In the US, two legislators want the Chinese application to be banned by government devices.

And then there is a strictly controlled online space to work in in China.

It is common for social media companies in the country to eliminate the content that is perceived as threatening “social stability” or too critical of the Communist Party.

As with other popular social media applications and companies such as Weibo or WeChat, politically sensitive topics are banned from Deepseek.

When the BBC asks Deepseek if Taiwan is a sovereign nation, the app initially offered a complete answer that details the various perspectives of Taipei and Beijing, admitting that it is a “complex and politically sensitive question”.

Then she rubbed all this, saying, “I’m sorry, it’s out of my current scope. Let’s talk about something else.”

When asked about the slaughter of Tiananmann Square in 1989, when Prodemocracy protests were crushed and 200 civilians killed by the military, according to the Chinese government, other estimates range from hundreds to many thousand “Beyond (her) Current Scope.”

Several Deepseek users, which BBC was initially related to reacting when asked if the self -censorship of the app was a cause for concern – an indication of how sensitive to similar discussions in China could be.

People have fell into difficulty with authorities in China because of their online activities.

But most of those who answered the BBC said they had no interest in asking difficult political questions.

“I’m not interested in political topics … I will neither ask these questions because my (identifying details) are related to the app,” says Jan, a Chinese technology consultant living in London.

Holly accepts how AI systems in different countries may need to work differently.

“Developers will have to establish certain boundaries and policies to moderate content according to where they are based. Those developed in the United States will have their own sets of rules,” she says.

Another Depepeek user writes about the app: “His mental process is beautiful … It’s absolutely a blessing for people like me. Honestly, I can’t be interested in the problems of confidentiality.”

Additional Wang fan reporting