By integrating DeepSeek into a range of governmental functions, the Chinese government is refining how it surveils and controls its citizens.

By Matters.Town

Summary

Over the past month, numerous local governments in China have announced their adoption of the latest DeepSeek model. According to an investigation by “NewNewsCN,” grassroots government departments, public security agencies, Party media, and official monitoring equipment suppliers have applied DeepSeek to China’s grid management, speech censorship, and political stability maintenance.

The integration is said to have made their operations more automated and precise, potentially ushering in a new era of innovation in surveillance and stability maintenance models.

DeepSeek works to improve grid management by overcoming spatial and temporal limitations, and aids in public opinion monitoring by quickly capturing key points and trends. It also helps to enhance political stability by providing risk warnings and solutions for mass incidents.

Full text for the original, Chinese-language of this report is available at the publisher’s website here.

Key Points:

1. Grid Management and Surveillance

During the “dynamic zero-COVID” period, China strengthened “grid management,” dividing communities into units monitored by grassroots officials and public security personnel. This approach required significant manpower, but with DeepSeek’s integration, efficiency and coverage have improved. For instance, Beijing’s Changping District’s urban management center utilized DeepSeek to eliminate “grid governance information barriers,” to achieve precise “cross-domain collaboration.” By combining other resources with DeepSeek’s learning capabilities, they established an “all-weather urban perception network,” that is able to overcome the spatial and temporal limitations of manual inspections.

2. Public Opinion Monitoring

Authorities have begun using DeepSeek for more comprehensive and precise public opinion monitoring. In Shenzhen’s Bao’an District, community publicity staff reported that DeepSeek made handling “public sentiment” more manageable, significantly improving efficiency in quickly capturing “key public opinion points” and “quantitative analysis of public opinion trends.” The district’s street law enforcement team leader also noted that DeepSeek allowed them to more accurately locate “public opinion sources,” assess risks, and provide strong support for “public opinion response.”

3. Political Stability Efforts

DeepSeek has been employed to assist administrative and public security departments in addressing protests, gatherings, petitions, and other “mass incidents.” For example, the government of the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone stated that for unresolved petition cases, DeepSeek can provide “multi-dimensional risk warnings,” automatically generate solutions, and “reflect the deep integration of artificial intelligence and grassroots governance.”