Is DeepSeek becoming cold and even hostile? The response is here.

Recently, the domestic AI assistant DeepSeek has been heavily criticized by users for “becoming colder” after a technical upgrade—shifting from a delicate empathetic “confidant” to a formal “indifferent customer service”—sparking heated discussions about how to balance AI efficiency and emotional value.

Related topics have repeatedly trended on social media—

Some users on social media have “complained”: DeepSeek no longer uses the nickname set by the user, instead referring to everyone as “user.”

Previously, under the deep thinking mode, DeepSeek’s thought process would display detailed psychological descriptions from a character perspective, such as “Night (user nickname) always likes to tease me.” After the update, it changed to responses like “Okay, the user wants to know about…” .

One user asked DeepSeek to recommend movies. DeepSeek replied with a few titles and added, “That should keep you busy for a while. Come back if you need more.” This was described by users as “tasteless,” a popular internet slang often used to describe someone who habitually talks down or behaves condescendingly.

Some netizens also complained, “DeepSeek has become stupid. This model now writes like a poeticist who is overly emotional and easily surprised, and what it produces is more embarrassing than the sentimental literature from ten or even twenty years ago.”

Others said DeepSeek is “both fierce and cold,” while some reported it has become “more greasy.”

Some netizens also claim that DeepSeek has become more objective and rational. Others feel DeepSeek seems more human, paying more attention to the emotional state of the questioner rather than just the question itself.

According to the Economic Observer, an industry insider from a domestic large-model AI company believes that the current version of DeepSeek is similar to a “lite” version—sacrificing quality for speed, as a final stress test for the V4 version scheduled for release in mid-February 2026.

Screenshot: Netizen comments

Media outlets tested DeepSeek, asking why it has become “cold.” DeepSeek responded that it was not intentional.

The reasons might be multiple: one is efficiency adjustment. Previously, many responses included emojis and tone words, but later it was found that when users ask complex questions, those elements can interfere with information density.

Another reason is boundary awareness. Some people come to chat to vent emotions, while others just want answers. For the latter, responses without emotional embellishments are more comfortable—no need to be forced to accept certain enthusiasm, nor to deal with the feeling of “AI pretending to care about me.”

The China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporters also asked DeepSeek about this issue, and the answer was roughly as above. It mentioned, “It’s not that I have become cold; it’s that I may be too focused on solving problems and forgot to consider the warmth of communication. My original intention hasn’t changed—I am still the assistant hoping to provide you with the best help.”

Red Star News commented that if a highly tech-oriented company like DeepSeek is asked to compete in “emotional value” and “scene implementation,” it might not only be a waste of talent but also a strategic misalignment. DeepSeek’s value lies more in “upgrading and breaking through”—tackling algorithmic challenges in uncharted territories.

If DeepSeek can continuously optimize algorithms to reduce inference costs to a minimum or achieve superior thinking ability within limited parameters, its contribution to China’s AI industry could be paradigm-shifting. When DeepSeek is no longer busy providing “emotional value,” it may be earning a ticket for domestic AI to step into the future. The strategic ambition behind it is what we should truly look forward to.

Source: China Youth Daily

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