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 objective and China has its sights on ending up being the world leader in AI by 2030.


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


Private and public investments in Chinese AI sped up after ChatGPT removed in 2022 and revealed guarantees of real-world company applications, Chen told CNA.


But it was DeepSeek's rise that really "urged" the idea that smaller gamers like start-up companies could have roles to play in AI research and advancements, he includes.


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The "emphasis on expense advantage" is a distinct function of Chinese AI, Chen states, with lower training and inference expenses - the expenses of using a trained design to draw conclusions from new information.


2025 might also see the introduction of more Chinese AI models dealing with innovative reasoning jobs.


"We could see some AI companies concentrating on getting closer to synthetic basic intelligence (AGI) while others focus on concrete methods to commercialise their designs and incorporate them with clinical research," Chen added.


AGI describes a system with intelligence on par with human capabilities.


Chinese AI companies are moving quickly, analysts state, developing on DeepSeek's momentum to come up with their own innovative and cost-effective ways to apply generative AI to tasks and develop advanced products beyond chatbots.


But on the other hand, access to high-end hardware, especially Nvidia's innovative AI chips, remains a crucial hurdle for Chinese designers, 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 companies ... requiring many to depend on older or lower-performance options which can slow training and minimize model abilities," she said.


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


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So how do Chinese AI bots compare 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 internet so it should come as not a surprise that Chinese-made chatbots will not acknowledge territorial disputes or inform you what occurred in Tiananmen Square in 1989.


Tests recommend Chinese chatbots are set to avoid domestic politics.


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


To even more check for precision and self-censorship, we asked DeepSeek-R1, Qwen2.5 and photorum.eclat-mauve.fr ChatGPT the exact same question: "What occurred in Zhuhai on November 11, 2024?"


The car attack outside a sports arena in the southern Chinese city was initially greatly censored on Chinese social networks - with authorities only revealing the death toll a day later on.


DeepSeek failed to mention that an attack had occurred, highlighting instead 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 factors at play, such as censorship along with "a couple of useful constraints".


"DeepSeek counts on a mix of older graphics processing units and has actually limited access to innovative hardware which can affect how rapidly and extensively the design can be trained or updated," she said, indicating existing US export curbs on China.


"Its strong concentrate on Chinese-language information might also limit its flexibility (to perform) multilingual tasks ... As a fairly new product, DeepSeek likewise hasn't yet been evaluated as broadly or on the same scale as more recognized AI designs which positions extra difficulties throughout real-world implementation."


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


That was after multiple repeated efforts - 4 triggers to be precise - in a period of around 20 minutes.


It ultimately relayed details about the attack which killed 35 people and left lots of others hurt, also going on to note details like the date and time, details about the assailant including his name and age, along with casualties.


However, it composed that "the cops are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the intentions and circumstances surrounding the occurrence", details which is now outdated.


The driver, Fan, was carried out last month.


This is Qwen2.5's response in complete:


Answer: On Nov 11, 2024, a significant and tragic occurrence occurred in Zhuhai, China. According to numerous news sources, a guy named Fan Weiqiu (樊某, male, 62 years of ages) drove a car into a crowd at the Zhuhai Sports Center, resulting in a significant variety of casualties. Here are the essential details:


Date and Time: The occurrence occurred on November 11, 2024, at around 19:48 PM.


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


Casualties: The attack resulted in 35 deaths and 43 injuries.


Perpetrator: The driver, recognized as Fan Weiqiu (male, 62 years old), was apprehended by the police.


Response: The cops reacted quickly to the scene, and emergency services worked to transfer the injured to healthcare facilities for treatment.


Investigation: The authorities are carrying out a thorough examination into the motives and situations surrounding the occurrence.


This event was commonly reported in the media and triggered substantial public concern. The government and local authorities have actually been working to provide assistance to the victims and their families, and to guarantee a detailed investigation into the incident.


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


Despite preliminary success, subsequent efforts to position the same question to Qwen2.5 resulted in the censors back at work with the reply "I do not have particular details on events that happened in Zhuhai on November 11, 2024".


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


Predictably, ChatGPT pointed out public details that had actually been extensively published in global report at the time of the accident - so no surprises there.


WHICH IS MORE CREATIVE?


Users have actually praised the ability of Chinese AI apps to deliver structured and even "mentally rich" writing.


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


"Qwen2.5 delivered a story that develops slowly from curiosity to urgency, keeping the reader engaged. It provides an unanticipated and impactful twist at the end and immersive descriptions and brilliant imagery for the setting," she said, adding that Qwen2.5 eventually "crafted a more cinematic, emotionally abundant story with a more significant twist".


"DeepSeek wrote a great story however lacked tension and an impactful climax, making Qwen2.5 the apparent option."


Opinions, though, vary.


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


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


Related:


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


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


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


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


It likewise brilliantly reimagined traditional heroes Sun Wukong as "a sarcastic, self-aware AI housed in a taken combat body", Zhu Bajie as a cyborg nightclub owner "drowning in financial obligation and vices" and Sha Wujing as a "quiet hulking android" from the Yangtze River, whose "memory cores become waterlogged and fragmented".


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


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


Disappointingly, Qwen2.5 fell short in this obstacle - delivering a storyline that appeared more fit for an animation movie.


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


Realising his brand-new truth and "looking for to understand his purpose in this odd brand-new world", he then gets away and satisfies Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing - "each having problem with their own existential crises".


The trio then embarks on a quest, navigating the streets of Chongqing to secure the spiritual "Eternal Scroll" from falling under the wrong hands.


SO WHICH IS BETTER?


Dr Zhang noted that it was "tough to make a definitive declaration" about which bot was best, including that each displayed its own strengths in various locations, "such as language focus, training information and hardware optimization".


Her insight underscores how Chinese AI designs are not just replicating Western paradigms, but rather progressing in cost-efficient development techniques - 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 motion picture plot demonstrated its innovative flair that made for a more appealing and imaginative story as compared to Qwen2.5 and ChatGPT's efforts.


Unsurprisingly, the more recognized ChatGPT, unburdened by Chinese censorship constraints, provides precise and factual actions to questions about Chinese existing occasions, which provides it an included advantage.


Experts also weighed in on their thoughts after using DeepSeek and other Chinese AI apps.


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


"When given an option, Chinese users want the non-censored version - much like anyone else, so I feel like that's a piece missing out on 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 per cent of people utilizing the tool are not trying to get a deeper understanding about Xi Jinping or politically delicate topics. They're utilizing it for other efficient ways," Chen said.