DeepSeek-powered digital government applications released by Longhua District earlier this year.
A screenshot of an AI-powered urban governance application of Longhua District.
Visitors use an AI-powered machine to customize a campus card at a fair in Shenzhen.
Students of Shenzhen Bao'an Middle School (Group) use DeepSeek-powered learning applications on a computer at the school.
Students assemble robots during an AI-themed class at a middle school in Guangxi.
As China deepens its digital transformation drive, multiple cities across the country have adopted DeepSeek-powered AI services to enhance governance and streamline urban management. Part of China’s broader effort to develop a digital government and accelerate the transition to high-efficiency administration, this drive aims to meet the public’s growing aspiration for a better life. Shenzhen has become the first city in the country to announce the deployment of the DeepSeek model in government services. In early February, Longgang District’s government completed integrating the DeepSeek-R1 model with its digital infrastructure, providing intelligent support for over 20,000 civil servants. Longgang also added a DeepSeek-powered AI assistant to a mini-program on instant messaging platform WeChat to improve services for enterprises. Following Longgang’s efforts, Shenzhen’s Futian District introduced 70 “AI employees” Feb. 18. These DeepSeek-powered digital sidekicks are embedded in localized knowledge bases and function well in spheres like public document processing, public services, emergency management, and investment promotion, covering a total of 240 administrative scenarios. As a result, government efficiency has been improved. Document processing has achieved 95% format accuracy, cutting review time by 90% and reducing errors to below 5%. Additionally, these digital helpers have increased the accuracy of handling public service requests — from 70% to 95% — while reducing the customization time for tailored administrative services from five days to just minutes. “The goal of using large models like DeepSeek is to achieve the intelligent transformation of government services, which aims to streamline government work process, optimize the business environment, and empower industrial development,” said Wang Yaowen, deputy director of Shenzhen’s government services and data management bureau. The AI-powered governance initiative is not limited to first-tier cities like Shenzhen. Linyi in eastern China’s Shandong Province has also incorporated DeepSeek into its digital government system, particularly in financial sector applications. One notable example is the “Yimeng Insight” system, which aggregates business lifecycle data to generate corporate credit profiles, facilitating financial support for enterprises. Since its introduction, the system has created profiles for over 14,000 businesses, aiding in loan approvals worth 3.66 billion yuan (US$510 million). The momentum surrounding DeepSeek has expanded beyond the ecosystem. Industries including office software, automotive, health care, and finance have announced plans to adopt DeepSeek. Major cloud service providers like Huawei Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, and Baidu AI Cloud have also integrated DeepSeek's large models into their platforms, while AI chip manufacturers and companies across the computing power supply chain have successfully integrated with DeepSeek. In the healthcare sector, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University is building an intelligent system with DeepSeek that integrates clinical care, research, and operations management to improve overall efficiency. In the future, AI agents will act as digital avatars for doctors and nurses, significantly easing patient waiting times in the hospital. At an industrial park in Shenzhen's Pingshan District, industrial AI models analyze data streams from over 2,000 devices, enabling production lines to optimize technological parameters autonomously nearly 30 times an hour. The new trend highlights China’s strong commitment to harnessing digital technology for smarter, more efficient public administration. Over the years, the country has rapidly advanced e-governance by introducing one-stop government service platforms and virtual public services. This year’s government work report reaffirmed China’s commitment to accelerating the development of a digital government and vowed to refine the integrated national online platform for government services. “Integrating AI models like DeepSeek into government services will enhance public service efficiency through content generation and intelligent interaction, advancing the modernization of urban governance systems and capabilities,” said Wu Yiping, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. However, as AI-driven governance expands, experts say that challenges related to data security, privacy protection, and ethical considerations remain crucial. “We should be mindful of the boundaries of AI applications to prevent over-reliance and systemic risks following the integration of AI into government systems,” said Wu Shenkuo, deputy director of the research center of the Internet Society of China. “The ethical risks and fairness concerns arising from AI-assisted governance decisions also require a careful and comprehensive assessment,” Wu added.