In BriefPosted:1:52 PM PST February 3, 2025Image Credits:Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto / Getty ImagesNo, DeepSeek isnt uncensored if you run it locallyTheres an idea floating around that DeepSeeks well-documented censorship only exists at its application layer but goes away if you run it locally (that means downloading its AI model to your computer.)But DeepSeeks censorship is baked-in, according to a Wired investigation which found that the model is censored on both the application and training levels.For example, a locally-run version of DeepSeek revealed to Wired thanks to its reasoning feature that it should avoid mentioning events like the Cultural Revolution and focus only on the positive aspects of the Chinese Communist Party.A quick check by TechCrunch of a locally-run version of DeepSeek available via Groq also showed clear censorship: DeepSeek happily answered a question about the Kent State shootings in the U.S., but replied I cannot answer when asked about what happened in Tiananmen Square in 1989.Topics