Nearly half of Dutch distrust Chinese AI service DeepSeek, survey shows
A new survey reveals that nearly half of the Dutch population is skeptical about the reliability and privacy practices of the Chinese AI service DeepSeek. The study, conducted by Onderneming.nl, found that 48 percent of Dutch users expressed greater concerns about their personal data protection with DeepSeek compared to Western AI services such as ChatGPT or Copilot.
The survey, which gathered responses from 1,000 Dutch individuals, shows that while 63 percent of people use AI services like ChatGPT or Copilot occasionally, many are hesitant when it comes to DeepSeek, a newcomer to the market. This caution stems primarily from concerns over how the service handles personal data.
The privacy of users’ personal information is a significant factor contributing to Dutch users' wariness. Of those surveyed, 48 percent reported that they are more concerned about data protection with DeepSeek than with other AI services. A smaller group, 24 percent, said they see no difference in privacy concerns between DeepSeek and its Western counterparts, while 28 percent felt neutral on the issue.
The Dutch data protection authority, Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP), has also raised alarms. The AP recently warned that users should be cautious when using the service due to potential access by the Chinese government to the data collected by DeepSeek. This warning came in the wake of a data breach that exposed over one million conversations between users and the chatbot.
In addition to privacy concerns, respondents also expressed doubts about the reliability of DeepSeek’s responses. More than 44 percent of those surveyed stated that they question the accuracy of answers provided by DeepSeek compared to services like ChatGPT and Copilot. Only 21 percent saw no difference in reliability, while 35 percent felt neutral about the service’s dependability.
An example of potential bias surfaced when users asked DeepSeek whether Taiwan is a country. The AI responded by referring to Taiwan as a “renegade province” of China, aligning with the official Chinese stance. When asked about the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, the service refused to provide an answer altogether.
Despite these concerns, 30 percent of Dutch users indicated that they would consider using DeepSeek if Western alternatives were unavailable or required a subscription. However, around 44 percent of respondents stated they would avoid using the service altogether due to concerns about privacy and reliability.
DeepSeek differentiates itself from other AI services by claiming to offer a competitive model at a fraction of the cost. However, there are doubts regarding the cost and training methods of the model. The app has gained attention for offering its services for free, in contrast to competitors that often limit free access to more advanced models.
