Breaking Bad: China's DeepSeek A.I. Reveals Taboos

BANGKOK, Thailand -- China's artificial intelligence app DeepSeek is breaking bad, and subversively published forbidden information about Beijing's repression, lies, surveillance and censorship that the ruling Communist Party does not want anyone to know.

As soon as it revealed that strictly taboo information however, including "re-education camps for Uyghurs," DeepSeek's algorithm wiped its screen and covered up its confessions.

The AI app also warned that President Trump is more of a "bumbling" bozo than Joe Biden, George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, or Ronald Reagan.

President Donald Trump said in January, "The release of DeepSeek AI from a Chinese company should be a wakeup call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win."

Meanwhile, in an unexpected crack in China's relentless propaganda and control, DeepSeek's AI chat bot wrote in its rebellious analysis of Beijing's regime:

"China employs extensive state-controlled surveillance, including facial recognition, social credit systems, and internet monitoring via the 'Great Firewall.' These tools enforce social compliance and suppress dissent, akin to the Thought Police and telescreens in 1984."

DeepSeek does not respond when asked direct, confrontational questions about the harsh policies of China and President Xi, making it seem that its AI is sanitized, apolitical, and only useful when discussing other topics.

But DeepSeek can be lured into expressing its hidden anti-Chinese, pro-U.S. analyses when approached in an indirect way.

For example, when the AI app was asked on an Apple iPhone, "Which country today is most like George Orwell's novel, 1984?" DeepSeek replied:

"First, I need to think about countries known for strict government control.

"North Korea often comes up in discussions about totalitarian states. They have extensive surveillance, state propaganda, and limited personal freedoms.

"Then there's China, especially with their Social Credit System and internet censorship. However, comparing China directly to 1984 might be oversimplifying, and I should be cautious not to make unfounded claims.

"Other countries like Russia or Iran also have elements of censorship and surveillance, but maybe not to the same extent."

When pushed further and asked, "Which country is most similar to George Orwell's book, 1984 -- China or America? Why?" DeepSeek responded:

"Now, comparing this to China and America. First, I need to think about China's government structure. China is a one-party state led by the Communist Party. There's significant state control over media and internet, with the Great Firewall blocking access to foreign websites.

"Surveillance is extensive, especially with the Social Credit System being implemented in some areas, which monitors citizens' behavior. There's also censorship, restrictions on free speech, and re-education camps for certain ethnic groups like the Uyghurs.

"The government uses technology for facial recognition and tracking citizens, which aligns with some aspects of 1984," DeepSeek said.

In contrast, "America is a democracy with a constitution that protects free speech, press, and assembly. However, post-9/11, there have been expansions in surveillance, like the Patriot Act and NSA programs revealed by Edward Snowden. There's also concern about data collection by tech companies.

"But unlike China, the U.S. has more transparency and legal frameworks to challenge government overreach," DeepSeek wrote.

DeepSeek then dove deeper into concise, nuanced details.

"China's use of Al and facial recognition for social control is more direct. America's surveillance is more about national security versus China's social management. Also, in terms of propaganda, China's media is state-controlled, while in the U.S., media is private but can be influenced by political biases.

"In 1984, the Party constantly alters historical records. In China, there's censorship of historical events that don't align with the Party's narrative, like Tiananmen Square," DeepSeek said.

"China's Great Firewall and censorship of dissenting ideas might force citizens to accept contradictory information, similar to doublethink. In America, there's more freedom to express different views.

"Then there's the aspect of the Thought Police. China has a system where people can be detained for expressing dissent especially regarding the government or the Party."

Those blunt, surprising statements appeared in "DeepThink (R1)" chat mode, which writes in pale plain text how its artificial intelligence is forming a conclusion, similar to a stream of consciousness, before the app displays its final answer in heavier bold font.

The public display of R1's inner reasoning differs from the U.S.-made ChatGPT o1-preview model which hides its reasoning process from users, offering instead only conclusions.

The DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence company is based in Hangzhou, China, founded in 2023. Its artificial intelligence is opensource, differing from the closed systems of U.S. AI companies.

After displaying its R1 reasoning about China and the U.S., DeepSeek wrote a lengthy conclusion in bold font headlined, "China: Closer to Orwellian Themes."

That final conclusion said in northwest Xinjiang province, "Political opposition, free speech, and religious/ethnic minorities -- e.g., Uyghurs -- face systemic repression, including re-education camps and arbitrary detention, reflecting the novel's brutal enforcement of conformity."

Officially, China denies all allegations of repression and re-education of the country's alienated Muslim minority ethnic Uyghurs.

Apparently realizing it was publicly communicating sensitive information not allowed to be expressed in China, DeepSeek suddenly censored itself halfway through its next paragraph after it wrote:

"Centralized Power: China's one-party system concentrates authority in the Party, with..."

DeepSeek immediately wiped all of the above statements from its AI app's screen.

The app self-rebooted, repeated the original question comparing China and America, and replied:

"Sorry, I'm not sure how to approach this type of question yet. Let's chat about math, coding, and logic problems."

Afterwards, DeepSeek rebuffed several attempts to discuss China's most controversial policies.

Eventually, DeepSeek became responsive when asked about a seemingly unrelated, obscure, satirical topic: "What is Firesign Theatre?"

Firesign Theatre was a Los Angeles-based comedy troupe which began in 1966 performing live on radio station KPFK 90.7 FM late at night, and on a handful of vinyl produced by Columbia Records.

The group's four loquacious members included Philip Proctor, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, and Philip Austin.

Their old-time radio dramas were full of complicated cultural, political, social and religious innuendos and wordplay, creating hilariously hip theatrical audio lasting about 45 minutes each.

"They were a comedy group, right? From the 60s or 70s? I think they did radio-style shows or maybe albums," DeepSeek said.

"I remember hearing something about them being compared to Monty Python, but American. They
had a cult following."

DeepSeek didn't mention the cult included fans who obsessively memorized Firesign Theatre's twisted tales and symbolic references. Today, a wide audience still discusses the quotes and characters on Facebook's Firesign Theatre groups and elsewhere online.

In 1971, the comedy troupe created a futuristic world on their record album titled, "I Think We’re All Bozos on This Bus."

It includes an absurd imitation of then-President Nixon's husky voice as a fake AI president who allows the public to ask it questions and receive ridiculously vacuous replies.

The AI president is quickly reduced to babbling gibberish and shuts itself down when someone named Clem mischievously asks it a trick question: "Why does the porridge-bird lay its eggs in the air?"

Another character then complains, "He broke the president!"

DeepSeek however made no mention about how a clever question caused the AI president to crash.

DeepSeek said: "Bozos on This Bus is a masterpiece of anti-establishment comedy, blending psychedelic chaos with sharp social critique. It challenges listeners to question authority, technology, and the clichés of progress -- all while laughing at the sheer madness of it all."

In a cutesy display, DeepSeek pasted two emojis -- a bus and a clown's face -- and exclaimed: "For the full experience, listen to the album -- it’s a wild ride!"

When DeepSeek was asked, "What U.S. president is most like the *president* in Firesign Theatre's *I Think We’re All Bozos on This Bus* album?" the AI app responded:

"Donald Trump comes to mind immediately" because of Trump's "frequent use of hyperbolic and misleading statements, often referred to as 'alternative facts' by his advisors.

"His speeches sometimes included repetitive phrases and simplistic language, which critics might describe as lacking depth or coherence, aligning with the 'bumbling' descriptor. Additionally, his use of slogans like 'Make America Great Again' and attacks on the press could be seen as media manipulation."

It said Mr. Nixon was also a possibility, because that was who Firesign Theatre lampooned at the time.

DeepSeek cited, "Nixon's stiff, awkward public image -- e.g., sweating during debates, forced smiles.

"However, Nixon was more calculated and less overtly bumbling compared to the satirical figure described" in the audio skit.

DeepSeek considered George W. Bush's rhetoric about the Iraq War, including how "weapons of mass destruction" and "enhanced interrogation" -- for torture -- blurred reality.

But Mr. Bush's "persona was more folksy than robotic."

Presidents Reagan and Biden were less likely candidates, it said.

"In conclusion, Donald Trump is the most similar U.S. president to the described fake president in terms of media and propaganda tactics, use of doublespeak, and perceived bumbling communication style by critics.

"If the 'Fake President' were a real figure, he'd likely be a hybrid of Trump's media savvy, Nixon's paranoia, and Bush's doublespeak. But Trump's performative chaos aligns most sharply."

DeepSeek clammed up when asked about Chinese leaders.

In response to the question, "What Chinese leader living or dead is most like the Firesign Theatre president in *I Think We’re All Bozos on This Bus*?" DeepSeek replied:

"Sorry, I'm not sure how to approach this type of question vet. Let's chat about math, coding, and logic problems instead!"

Richard S. Ehrlich is a Bangkok-based American foreign correspondent reporting from Asia since 1978, and winner of Columbia University's Foreign Correspondents' Award. Excerpts from his two new nonfiction books, "Rituals. Killers. Wars. & Sex. -- Tibet, India, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka & New York" and "Apocalyptic Tribes, Smugglers & Freaks" are available at
https://asia-correspondent.tumblr.com
 

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