The frenzy over China’s home-grown chatbot from DeepSeek has spread to the medical sector, inspiring more Chinese to turn to using the artificial intelligence (AI) model for diagnoses.
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But the shift has also triggered mixed feelings – especially over the possibility of AI’s involvement in medical decisions.
Last week, a 12-second video on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, went viral.
“I am crushed!” ran the caption of the video, with the thumbnail featuring a doctor seated at his desk.
“The patient went on DeepSeek and questioned my treatment. I was so angry and checked the medical guidebook, only to find out that it had been updated,” he said, realising that he was the one in error.
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The doctor’s experience is not an isolated one. As China pushes for AI supremacy, members of the public are increasingly finding themselves face-to-face with AI civil servants, educators, newsreaders and even medical assistants.