What is DeepSeek Chat?

DeepSeek Chat is an artificial intelligence chatbot. Released in January 2025 by Chinese AI company DeepSeek, DeepSeek Chat is a more recent chatbot than many of its competitors. Despite its relative newness, a number of UK children have used the chatbot.

Like other AI chatbots, DeepSeek Chat responds to users’ messages and requests in real time, in a way that is almost indistinguishable from a human’s writing. You can use the chatbot directly in a web browser or download it as an app from Google Play and the Apple App Store. The chatbot is free to use.

DeepSeek has received attention due to questions surrounding its lack of transparency regarding data handling practices. This has resulted in it being removed from app stores in multiple countries.

DeepSeek Chat age rating

DeepSeek does not give an official age rating for its services, although they say the service is primarily intended for adults. However, it states in the terms of use that under-18’s should only use the chatbot with their parents’ permission. The Apple App Store rates DeepSeek as being appropriate for users aged 12+. Google Play does not have a specific rating for the app, instead saying it is the parent’s decision.

Ultimately, there is no clear age rating for DeepSeek Chat. This lack of transparency regarding what age the chatbot is suitable for makes it uncertain whether children should use it.

DeepSeek works very similarly to other popular advanced AI chatbots such as Chat GPT and Microsoft Copilot, in terms of both interface and responses. Like them, DeepSeek responds to requests the user inputs in a manner resembling a human-being. It can do tasks such as explaining concepts, improving the user’s writing and helping brainstorm ideas. Unlike the other major chatbots however, it is not able to generate AI images based on the user’s text.

AI chatbots might seem intelligent, but this intelligence is artificial. DeepSeek generates responses by predicting the next words needed to answer the user’s prompt based on the data it has trained on. This means if it pulls from misinformation, it could respond to the user with incorrect information. It is important that users have the critical-thinking skills to recognise wrong information and double-check anything AI chatbots tell them.

AI tools can help make day-to-day tasks easier. It can perform tasks such as researching things, improving text and helping with problem solving.

Education

DeepSeek chat can help people with their studying. It can quickly pull information on a topic, break down complex concepts into a simpler explanation and give users tests on whichever subjects they are learning. Due to it being an AI chatbot, some of the information it gives could be incorrect, so people using it for education should double-check its responses.

Productivity

Users can use DeepSeek to handle menial but time-consuming tasks and save time. This includes summarising text, assisting in writing and even creating a studying schedule to help keep students organised.

Creativity

DeepSeek is a useful tool for brainstorming. Asking for ideas for a story or names for a character will result in the chatbot giving numerous suggestions. The chatbot will tailor all responses to match the specifications provided in the prompt. There is a risk however that using it for brainstorming too often could result in the user hampering the development of their own imagination.

AI chatbots carry risks, and DeepSeek Chat is no different.

Data privacy

Criticism has been made against DeepSeek for the way it handles data, with countries such as Germany, Australia and South Korea launching investigations into the company. Because of this, users should avoid entering personal or sensitive information into DeepSeek Chat.

Misinformation

DeepSeek AI can sometimes reply to prompts with incorrect information. This is due to it repeating information from vast amounts of data it was trained on. If the AI has been trained on incorrect information or misinterprets the data, it could result in it responding with misinformation.

Censorship

While AI chatbots are useful for education, DeepSeek is a Chinese company and the chatbot censors any politically sensitive issues relating to China. Because of this, it might not be useful or even misinform users if they are seeking information relating to China.

Lack of transparency

DeepSeek Chat launched only this year and still lacks the transparency offered by other major chatbots. It does not have clear age restrictions or documentation, and it is unclear where its funding comes from and who is supporting the chatbot.

Overall, it is unclear how safe the chatbot really is. There is not enough transparency with the company and how they handle user data to know if it is safe. The fact that other nations such as Germany have removed it from their app stores due to a lack of trust in their data handling suggests it is not secure.

Because of this, children should not use the chatbot. Instead they should use their more established competitors such as Chat GPT and Microsoft Copilot.  

If your child chooses to use an AI chatbot, you should ensure that they have strong critical thinking skills. This will enable them to question the AI’s responses and not take misinformation at face value.                         

You should also use chatbots alongside your child at first. This will allow you to see if they are mature enough to be using advanced AI. It also lets you set an example to your child on how they should use AI chatbots.