Understanding user perceptions of DeepSeek: insights from sentiment, topic and network analysis using a Reddit-based study
Community discourse framed DeepSeek as both a technical tool and a geopolitical issue. Enthusiasm centered on its performance, accessibility, and open-source nature, while concerns were voiced about censorship, data privacy, and potential ideological influence. The integrated analysis shows that collective perception emerged through decentralized, dialogic engagement, reflecting broader sociotechnical tensions related to openness, trust, and legitimacy in global AI development.
Authors
- Vino Sundararajan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0015-8460)
- Vijayachitra Modhukur (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7123-9903)
- Rajesh Sharma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3581-1332)
- Naisarg Patel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6473-9224)
- Prakash Lingasamy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8826-4531)
- Sajitha Lulu Sudhakaran
Institutions
- Tartu Observatory (EE)
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (IN)
- University of Tartu (EE)
- Vellore Institute of Technology University (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence
- Published
- 2026-01-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2025.1703949
- Primary Topic
- Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00