Many young people in China are turning to the AI model R1, developed by DeepSeek, for emotional support, with some using it as a form of therapy. Holly Wang, a Guangzhou resident working in the creative industry, shares that she uses the platform every night to receive what she describes as therapy sessions after the loss of her grandmother. Initially using the chatbot to help write a tribute, Wang was moved by the AI’s comforting response, which resonated deeply with her. She described feeling emotionally touched by the AI’s empathy, noting that it had provided her with comfort she had not experienced in real life for a long time.
DeepSeek, which launched its R1 model in January, quickly gained popularity and has become a key source of emotional support for many young people in China. Unlike Western AI applications like ChatGPT, which are not easily accessible in China without VPN services, DeepSeek’s R1 is praised for its empathetic nature. Wang explained that AI models from other Chinese companies like Alibaba, Baidu, and ByteDance did not offer the same level of emotional connection.
Professor Nan Jia from the University of South California, who has researched AI’s role in emotional support, explained that AI can often empathize better than human experts because it listens to everything shared without judgment, something that even human therapists sometimes fail to do. Another user of DeepSeek shared that R1 provided her with new insights, moving her to tears, and helping her understand that oversharing wasn’t necessarily a psychological issue, but rather a style of communication.
DeepSeek’s R1 model has emerged as a tool that not only offers comfort but also introduces fresh perspectives on personal challenges, helping users process their emotions more effectively.