UEA Library's Senior Information Assistant, Ysabella Hall, takes a look at DeepSeek AI and shares her thoughts in our latest blog. 
 

What is DeepSeek?


DeepSeek is a new generative AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot, like ChatGPT. DeepSeek doesn’t create images or videos, but both have “reasoning models” which apply logic to their answers, can search the web, and can provide links to their sources. DeepSeek however demands far less computing power and, according to a paper authored by its creators, tests better on key metrics.  In conversation it seems many find the two comparable, especially if they use the paid version of ChatGPT.  

Because the two are similar, it is likely they will have many of the same uses: finding resources, providing feedback, generating counterarguments and assistance with executive functioning skills (things like structuring time and breaking tasks into steps). Also, much like Chat GPT, it may be tempting to use DeepSeek to write whole assignments or word difficult paragraphs and sentences. Whenever you use AI in your university work it’s a good idea to take a look at UEA Library’s Guidelines on AI. In part for avoiding pitfalls with respect to academic integrity and quality, and in part because they also contain advice on making good use of AI.  
 

My Experience Using DeepSeek


I don’t use AI often; but when learning new skills, I occasionally find it useful as a ‘tutor’. It’s helpful to have a back and forth, create a personalised study plan, and to get practice suited to your skill level and interests.  So, when I was struggling to find for a starting point for learning SQL (a coding language used for databases) I decided to try DeepSeek.  

I was impressed. Usually, I would use a prompt like “Can you help me learn SQL” as a starting point. A more thought-out message would have to follow before I got anything useful.  

But right away DeepSeek gave me:

  • Lists of key uses, commands, and concepts with explanations
  • Ideas for practice exercises  
  • Online practice tools, including links
  • Ideas for next steps once I had mastered these ideas

The responses continued to get more detailed and personalised as I gave it more information about things like my learning style, the constraints on my time, and when I switched on internet search and “DeepThink” (DeepSeek’s reasoning model). I found it much more helpful than Chat GPT. According to friends of mine who are far more enthusiastic about AI, this because I only use the free version.  

It wasn’t perfect. At least one video it suggested did not exist, a video of a similar title was on the channel it linked but was too advanced.  When I tried to get some practice by asking for some incorrectly written SQL to debug, it immediately gave me all the answers right next to each channel.  Despite these issues, the next day I was able to spend my commute watching a video tutorial on YouTube, found for me by DeepSeek. 
 

Censorship

DeepSeek begins to answer the query: What are the key news stories from Hong Kong in the last few decades?
DeepSeek then wipes the response, asking to talk about something else.

DeepSeek restricts its answers in compliance with rules put in place by the Chinese government. Having read a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) article, in which journalists attempted  to discuss to Tiananmen Square with DeepSeek, I was curious to see what would happen if I tried to bring up the Hong Kong protests of 2019 and 2020. 

I got the same result as the BBC journalists. DeepSeek began answering the question. Then, a matter of seconds later, the answer vanished. This happened again when I asked where to look for information about China’s political structure. DeepSeek produced a list of sources, but halfway through abruptly stopped and asked me to “talk about something else”. At first glance, it seems these issues would most effect students studying subjects like history or politics. So, I asked some of our subject librarians for STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology, and Maths) Fields for input. Our Medicine and Health Sciences Academic Librarian, Matthew Hawks, noted that what he had seen thus far about DeepSeek and science had been positive. However, he flagged potential issues where science and social policy overlap – for example in public health. He also wondered how potential reputational concerns, such as retractions, might be handled.
 

Security


Very shortly after appearing, DeepSeek experienced a large data breech. This was patched quickly. But most conversation around data and DeepSeek has focused on the parent company.  As with all technology, the collection and use of data is a key concern. Australia has already banned DeepSeek from government devices due to data security concerns. This is similar to a restriction the UK already has in place for TikTok. Whether or not this is more concerning than the data use of Silicon Valley based tech companies is up to individual judgement. Unlike some other tools, DeepSeek also doesn’t allow any use without an account, so there is no way to use it without sharing some of your details.

One key security concern applies irrespective of which AI tool is being used: if what you share with an AI is used to train it (as is the case with ChatGPT – I couldn’t find a clear answer for DeepSeek) it may later emerge in answer given to someone else. So, you should not use sensitive data in your prompts. This includes research data and any copyrighted material you are working with.  
 

Broader Concerns When Working with AI


Rachel Henderson, Academic Librarian for Computing, Engineering, Maths, Physics, Clinical Psychology, and Natural Sciences highlighted broader concerns about AI. In particular, the environmental impact. This may be somewhat mitigated by the lower computer power needed by DeepSeek, but that doesn’t mean DeepSeek has no environmental impact, especially if the increase in efficiency means an increase in use.

Rachel mentioned using AI to get quick answers might mean skipping something valuable.  She directed me to this thread on BlueSky, which highlights some less immediate benefits of the process of looking for information which may be lost for those who overly on AI to find answers. Rachel also drew my attention to some research which appears to show AI has a negative impact on critical thinking skills.
 

Conclusion 


Having used DeepSeek to get me started, I am now working independently on learning SQL. The concerns Rachel highlighted still made me wonder if I had lost something by not finding my “starting point” myself. But I am happy with where it got me and feel more confident seeking out information about SQL than I was before. I still think it’s possible to have AI as an ally. Like other AI tools DeepSeek is best used as part of a wider picture of resources. Whilst it has its controversies, so do other AI tools. ChatGPT, for example, is being sued by several Indian news organisations for plagiarism. The important thing when using AI, is to do so responsibly: not using it to produce a final product, being careful about what data you feed into it, and being mindful of its propensity for bias and error.