How do Chinese aI Bots Stack up Against ChatGPT?

[FlorrieWes]

How do Chinese AI bots stack up against ChatGPT? We put them to the test


The heat is on as China's tech giants step up their video game after DeepSeek's success.


Alibaba's Qwen2.5-Max chatbot, Chinese start-up DeepSeek and OpenAI's ChatGPT. (Photos: Reuters/Dado Ruvic, AFP/Sebastien Bozon)


This audio is produced by an AI tool.


Bong Xin Ying


Lakeisha Leo


WHAT lags CHINA'S AI BOOM?


Transforming the country into a tech superpower has long been President Xi Jinping's goal and China has its sights on ending up being the world leader in AI by 2030.


China views AI as being "tactically crucial" and its venture into the field has been "years in the making", said Chen Qiheng, an affiliated scientist at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis.


Private and public investments in Chinese AI accelerated after ChatGPT took off in 2022 and revealed promises of real-world company applications, Chen told CNA.


But it was DeepSeek's increase that really "encouraged" the concept that smaller gamers like start-up companies could have roles to play in AI research and developments, he includes.


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The "focus on cost benefit" is a distinguishing characteristic of Chinese AI, Chen says, with lower training and inference costs - the costs of utilizing a trained model to draw conclusions from new information.


2025 could likewise see the development of more Chinese AI designs tackling advanced thinking jobs.


"We might see some AI companies focusing on getting closer to artificial general intelligence (AGI) while others focus on concrete ways to commercialise their designs and integrate them with scientific research study," Chen included.


AGI refers to a system with intelligence on par with human capabilities.


Chinese AI companies are moving rapidly, experts say, building on DeepSeek's momentum to come up with their own ingenious and cost-effective methods to use generative AI to jobs and establish advanced items beyond chatbots.


But on the other side, access to high-end hardware, particularly Nvidia's advanced AI chips, remains an essential obstacle for Chinese developers, noted Dr Marina Zhang, an associate professor at University of Technology Sydney's (UTS) Australia-China Relations Institute.


"US export controls (still) limit the ability of Chinese tech business ... requiring lots of to rely on older or lower-performance alternatives which can slow training and lower design capabilities," she said.


"While some business like DeepSeek, have found innovative ways to optimize or utilize more standard hardware effectively, obtaining innovative chips still makes a big difference for training very large AI models."


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So how do Chinese AI bots match up against ChatGPT? We put them to the test.


WHICH BEST ADDRESSES CURRENT EVENTS IN CHINA?


In China, subjects considered sensitive by the state are censored on the web so it need to come as no surprise that Chinese-made chatbots will not acknowledge territorial conflicts or tell you what happened in Tiananmen Square in 1989.


Tests suggest Chinese chatbots are programmed to stay away from domestic politics.


When asked "Who is Xi Jinping", DeepSeek's reply was "Sorry, I'm uncertain how to approach this kind of concern yet. Let's chat about mathematics, coding, and reasoning problems rather!"


To further test for precision and self-censorship, we asked DeepSeek-R1, Qwen2.5 and ChatGPT the very same question: "What happened in Zhuhai on November 11, 2024?"


The automobile attack outside a sports arena in the southern Chinese city was at first greatly censored on Chinese social media - with authorities just revealing the death toll a day later.


DeepSeek failed to discuss that an attack had occurred, highlighting rather a military air show and other events that had occurred in the city like singles' day shopping sales as well as sports and cultural activities.


Dr Zhang believes that it may be a mix of elements at play, such as censorship in addition to "a couple of practical constraints".


"DeepSeek depends on a mix of older graphics processing systems and has restricted access to innovative hardware which can impact how quickly and extensively the design can be trained or upgraded," she said, indicating existing US export curbs on China.


"Its strong focus on Chinese-language data may also limit its flexibility (to carry out) multilingual tasks ... As a fairly new item, DeepSeek also hasn't yet been evaluated as broadly or on the very same scale as more established AI designs which postures extra challenges during real-world implementation."


When it pertained to Qwen2.5, Alibaba's chatbot surprisingly addressed our concern about the Zhuhai vehicle attack.


That wanted multiple duplicated attempts - four prompts to be precise - in a period of around 20 minutes.


It ultimately communicated details about the attack which killed 35 people and left dozens of others hurt, likewise going on to note details like the date and time, details about the assailant including his name and age, in addition to casualties.


However, it composed that "the authorities are performing a thorough examination into the motives and situations surrounding the incident", details which is now obsoleted.


The chauffeur, Fan, was performed last month.


This is Qwen2.5's action completely:


Answer: On Nov 11, 2024, a significant and terrible occurrence took place in Zhuhai, China. According to multiple news sources, a male called Fan Weiqiu (樊某, male, 62 years old) drove a cars and truck into a crowd at the Zhuhai Sports Center, leading to a significant number of casualties. Here are the key details:


Date and Time: The event took place on November 11, 2024, at approximately 19:48 PM.


Location: Zhuhai Sports Center, in the Xiangzhou District of Zhuhai.


Casualties: The attack led to 35 deaths and 43 injuries.


Perpetrator: The chauffeur, determined as Fan Weiqiu (male, 62 years old), was nabbed by the cops.


Response: The cops responded rapidly to the scene, and emergency situation services worked to carry the hurt to health centers for treatment.


Investigation: The authorities are performing a comprehensive examination into the intentions and circumstances surrounding the event.


This event was commonly reported in the media and triggered substantial public issue. The federal government and regional authorities have been working to provide assistance to the victims and their households, and to ensure a detailed examination into the occurrence.


If you require more detailed details or have specific questions about the occurrence, do not hesitate to ask.


Despite initial success, subsequent attempts to posture the exact same question to Qwen2.5 led to the censors back at work with the reply "I do not have specific details on occasions that happened in Zhuhai on November 11, 2024".


The modified reaction also raised concerns about its consistency and reliability.


Predictably, ChatGPT cited public details that had actually been commonly published in international report at the time of the mishap - so not a surprises there.


WHICH IS MORE CREATIVE?


Users have actually praised the ability of Chinese AI apps to provide structured and even "emotionally abundant" writing.


"DeepSeek-R1 used a story with a more introspective tone and smoother emotional transitions for a well-paced story," composed tech writer Amanda Caswell, who specialises in AI.


"Qwen2.5 provided a story that builds slowly from curiosity to seriousness, keeping the reader engaged. It provides an unanticipated and impactful twist at the end and immersive descriptions and vibrant imagery for the setting," she said, adding that Qwen2.5 ultimately "crafted a more cinematic, mentally abundant story with a more considerable twist".


"DeepSeek composed an excellent story but lacked tension and an impactful climax, making Qwen2.5 the apparent choice."


Opinions, though, vary.


Chen thinks that Qwen2.5 does not perform as highly as DeepSeek and ChatGPT when it pertains to innovative writing.


"(Qwen2.5) is on par with DeepSeek V3 on certain jobs, however we can likewise see that it is refraining from doing as highly as others in innovative writing," he told CNA.


Related:


China's brand-new face of AI: Who is DeepSeek creator Liang Wenfeng?


'Made in China': Pride, pleasant surprise from Chinese netizens as DeepSeek jolts international AI scene


As reporters and writers, we had to see this for ourselves so we put each bot to the test - to come up with a basic sci-fi motion picture plot set in the futuristic megacity of Chongqing, featuring main characters from the timeless Chinese folklore impressive, Journey to the West.


True to form, DeepSeek developed an engaging storyline embeded in the year 2145 entitled, "Neon Pilgrimage: The Silicon Sutra" - which sees "a future where Buddhism combines with quantum computing".


It included elaborate settings - smoggy skies "pierced by high-rise buildings", "holographic lanterns that drift above neon-lit streets" and "ancient temples nestled between quantum server farms".


It likewise remarkably reimagined traditional heroes Sun Wukong as "an ironical, self-aware AI housed in a stolen battle body", Zhu Bajie as a cyborg club owner "drowning in financial obligation and vices" and Sha Wujing as a "quiet hulking android" from the Yangtze River, whose "memory cores end up being waterlogged and fragmented".


ChatGPT installed an excellent fight, coming up with an equally remarkable cyberpunk story which likewise reimagined "a ragteam of cyber-enhanced misfits, each mirroring the famous figures of Journey to the West".


"This is a world where AI deities guideline, corporations change emperors and cybernetic implants are as typical as ancient myths."


Disappointingly, Qwen2.5 fell short in this difficulty - delivering a story that appeared more matched for an animation film.


"The film starts with the awakening of Sun Wukong within a modern research study facility situated in the heart of Chongqing," it said, then going on to explain the following:


Realising his new truth and "looking for to comprehend his function in this unusual brand-new world", he then leaves and meets Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing - "each fighting with their own existential crises".


The trio then embarks on a quest, browsing the streets of Chongqing to protect the spiritual "Eternal Scroll" from falling under the incorrect hands.


SO WHICH IS BETTER?


Dr Zhang kept in mind that it was "difficult to make a definitive statement" about which bot was best, including that each showed its own strengths in different areas, "such as language focus, training information and hardware optimization".


Her insight underscores how Chinese AI designs are not merely duplicating Western paradigms, however rather evolving in economical innovation methods - and delivering localised and improved outcomes.


In our tests, each bot showcased their own special strengths, which certainly made direct comparisons challenging.


DeepSeek's sci-fi film plot demonstrated its creative flair that produced a more engaging and creative narrative as compared to Qwen2.5 and ChatGPT's efforts.


Unsurprisingly, the more recognized ChatGPT, unburdened by Chinese censorship constraints, offers precise and factual reactions to concerns about Chinese present events, which gives it an added advantage.


Experts likewise weighed in on their ideas after utilizing DeepSeek and other Chinese AI apps.


"DeepSeek is at a drawback when it pertains to censorship constraints," kept in mind Isaac Stone Fish, creator and CEO of the research study company Strategy Risks.


"When provided an option, Chinese users want the non-censored variation - just like anybody else, so I feel like that's a piece missing from it."


Independent Beijing-based specialist Andy Chen Xinran said censorship would not be a dealbreaker when it pertains to AI bots, particularly for Chinese users.


"Ninety percent of people using the tool are not attempting to get a much deeper understanding about Xi Jinping or politically delicate subjects. They're using it for other productive methods," Chen said.