Media: DeepSeek AI sparks rapid adoption across China’s key industries

Since its launch, DeepSeek, a Chinese-developed AI model, has sparked a rapid adoption across various industries, from automotive to home appliances.

With its reasoning model, R1, and language model, V3, achieving performance levels comparable to leading Western competitors but at a significantly lower cost, DeepSeek has positioned itself as a formidable player in the AI space, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Experts believe that China’s strategy in AI is more focused on practical applications than simply creating larger models. “The government, companies, and investors in China share a common belief that China’s AI opportunity lies more in AI applications—services built on top of AI—rather than solely trying to make models larger to improve performance,” said Tilly Zhang, a technology analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics.

The automotive sector was one of the first to embrace DeepSeek, with over 20 car brands, including Geely Auto, integrating the AI into their vehicles. These updates enhance features like voice control and mapping, and even allow cars to understand vague commands such as “I’m a bit tired,” adjusting settings like seat position and lighting accordingly. 

DeepSeek has also made waves in the rapidly growing electric vehicle market, contributing to China’s dominance in the sector. “Chinese EV market leaders have all their ducks in a row, and now DeepSeek is accessible to them, perfectly positioning them to excel,” said Grace Shao, founder of AI-industry newsletter AI Proem. The AI model’s reach extends beyond automotive and EV sectors. Major smartphone manufacturers, including Huawei and Oppo, have incorporated DeepSeek’s capabilities into their AI assistants, making AI more accessible to the public. In the home appliance industry, Midea has enhanced air conditioners with DeepSeek’s voice recognition, enabling more intuitive user interactions. 

Additionally, nearly 100 hospitals in China have adopted DeepSeek to assist in diagnostics, medical imaging, and research, though concerns about AI replacing healthcare professionals remain. Government institutions, such as those in Shenzhen, have also integrated the technology, improving efficiency and document accuracy.

By Naila Huseynova