Young Chinese embrace AI apps like DeepSeek for emotional support

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI app, is gaining popularity for providing emotional support to young users. It uses an AI model called R1 that shows its "thought process" before responding. Users praise DeepSeek's ability to offer comfort and perspective during personal hardships. The app's success comes amid growing uncertainty among Chinese youth due to economic and social challenges. DeepSeek's eloquent responses have impressed users, outperforming other Chinese AI apps and paid counseling services. Experts suggest AI chatbots like DeepSeek may be better at empathizing than human counterparts.