The integration of DeepSeek into China’s global information strategy mirrors the concerns surrounding TikTok, another Chinese-owned platform suspected of shaping international narratives to favor Beijing. Experts suggest that AI-powered tools like DeepSeek can be instrumental in disseminating state-friendly narratives, especially as AI chatbots become a primary source of information for many users worldwide.
Jack Stubbs, chief intelligence officer for Graphika, a digital research firm, pointed out that China has been adept at using new technologies for influence operations. “China is able to quickly mobilize a range of actors that seed and amplify online narratives casting Beijing as surpassing the U.S. in critical areas of geopolitical competition,” Stubbs noted.
Disinformation Beyond AI Chatbots
China’s state-backed influence campaigns extend beyond DeepSeek. Graphika’s latest report details covert operations designed to discredit foreign critics and protect China’s economic and political interests. These campaigns target brands like Uniqlo, which refuses to use Xinjiang-sourced cotton over forced labor concerns, and human rights organizations like Safeguard Defenders, which has been subjected to extensive misinformation attacks.
Laura Harth, campaign director for Safeguard Defenders, described the ongoing efforts to smear her organization as “a renewed, multilingual, and sustained attack aimed at discrediting the organization’s work, threatening, intimidating, or slandering some of its staff members, and attempting to sow doubt about its activities.”
The Implications of AI-Powered Misinformation
The rise of AI-generated disinformation raises significant concerns for global information integrity. While AI chatbots have long struggled with “hallucinations” or the generation of false or nonsensical information, DeepSeek’s outputs appear to be intentionally shaped by state censorship and propaganda efforts.
As AI tools become more integrated into everyday information consumption, the potential for misuse in geopolitical narratives grows. DeepSeek’s emergence underscores the need for scrutiny and regulation of AI-powered information platforms, especially those with direct ties to state-controlled information ecosystems. The broader implications of AI-driven state propaganda warrant continued investigation, as they may reshape public perception and global discourse in ways not yet fully understood.