DeepSeek prompts the 'deep seek' for humanity – AI Socialization
DeepSeek fosters a profound exploration of humanity, focusing on the socialization of AI.
TroibNews 
Editor's note: With the introduction of DeepSeek's open-source AI model, the barriers to entry and costs associated with AI development have notably decreased. It is expected that AI's influence on human society will continue to grow, affecting both the labor market and our daily lives. As the annual Two Sessions get underway, CN's Sci-Tech Section is spotlighting critical topics related to artificial intelligence and launching the "DeepSeek inspires the 'deep seek' for humanity" series. Written by Li Mingling, an assistant researcher at the Institute of Public Policy at South China University of Technology, these articles address essential questions about ensuring that technological advancements promote fairness, justice, and human welfare without undermining human value. The author's views are expressed in the article and do not necessarily reflect the stance of CN.
Socialization is the process where individuals learn to adapt to society, becoming fully integrated members by internalizing social norms, values, roles, and cultural knowledge.
Since the rise of the internet, cyberspace has emerged as a significant domain of socialization, alongside traditional settings such as family, school, and work, continuing to influence individuals throughout their lives. The mobile internet has particularly transformed lifestyles and modes of interaction. It has crafted a unique virtual space that affects not only the youth through social media but also enables re-socialization for older generations via short videos and other online applications. Participants in the online community must adopt varied social roles and comply with societal and cultural norms, such as legal and moral standards. Furthermore, many interactions that once took place in physical spaces have now transitioned to online platforms, making internet socialization a critical aspect of contemporary growth.
However, a pressing question arises: Will we experience a fundamentally different socialization process in the AI age, akin to our adaptation during the internet era? This can be unpacked into two key inquiries: How can individuals adjust to the AI-driven world? How can AI enhance socialization?
The response to the first question is straightforward: to thrive in an AI-dominated society, people must actively engage with and utilize AI, comprehend the new operational paradigms, and boost their initiative, similar to how we adapted to the internet.
Regarding the second question, consider large language models—not merely learning to interact with AI but institutions offering tailored question lists for diverse age groups. For example, young individuals could be motivated to use AI to delve into topics like coping with failure, improving parental relationships, or overcoming feelings of inferiority. This method would facilitate self-reflection and foster personal growth.
In the mobile internet era, society has observed a trend of increased self-absorption, with individuals tending to neglect social interactions. With the emergence of AI technologies—such as AI teachers, playmates, and companions—could we become even more individualized and isolated in an AI-driven world?
Zheng Yongnian, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, noted in an earlier discussion with Tencent Research Institute that Hannah Arendt's insights on atomization highlight how centralism can lead to the separation of people for control. Despite this, humans have an inherent need for communication and socialization. Yet, more individuals are expressing disillusionment with direct interaction, increasingly opting for communication via AI-driven social media.
Some may question whether talking about socialization in the AI age is outdated. What, then, is the relevance of investigating socialization in this context?
I believe technology is intended to help us connect more deeply with what matters, facilitating more meaningful social interactions. Socialization in the AI age should transcend AI platforms and reach real-world aspects that AI cannot replicate. Thus, we must emphasize practice, empirical experiences, and nuanced interactions.
Furthermore, beyond the socialization of individuals—which I refer to as AI for socialization—AI itself requires its own form of socialization, termed socialization for AI. Only by achieving greater social integration can AI better meet human needs.
On one hand, developers should integrate the social dimensions into AI, ensuring that social culture informs AI systems instead of limiting knowledge to purely mathematical or scientific frameworks.
On the other hand, businesses ought to look beyond profit margins, and engineering professionals must not concentrate solely on task execution. Insight from humanities and social sciences is essential to reflect on real-world challenges such as social ethics, power dynamics, inequality, and societal biases.
For more: DeepSeek inspires the 'deep seek' for humanity – Democratization of AI
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Socialization is the process where individuals learn to adapt to society, becoming fully integrated members by internalizing social norms, values, roles, and cultural knowledge.
Since the rise of the internet, cyberspace has emerged as a significant domain of socialization, alongside traditional settings such as family, school, and work, continuing to influence individuals throughout their lives. The mobile internet has particularly transformed lifestyles and modes of interaction. It has crafted a unique virtual space that affects not only the youth through social media but also enables re-socialization for older generations via short videos and other online applications. Participants in the online community must adopt varied social roles and comply with societal and cultural norms, such as legal and moral standards. Furthermore, many interactions that once took place in physical spaces have now transitioned to online platforms, making internet socialization a critical aspect of contemporary growth.
However, a pressing question arises: Will we experience a fundamentally different socialization process in the AI age, akin to our adaptation during the internet era? This can be unpacked into two key inquiries: How can individuals adjust to the AI-driven world? How can AI enhance socialization?
The response to the first question is straightforward: to thrive in an AI-dominated society, people must actively engage with and utilize AI, comprehend the new operational paradigms, and boost their initiative, similar to how we adapted to the internet.
Regarding the second question, consider large language models—not merely learning to interact with AI but institutions offering tailored question lists for diverse age groups. For example, young individuals could be motivated to use AI to delve into topics like coping with failure, improving parental relationships, or overcoming feelings of inferiority. This method would facilitate self-reflection and foster personal growth.
In the mobile internet era, society has observed a trend of increased self-absorption, with individuals tending to neglect social interactions. With the emergence of AI technologies—such as AI teachers, playmates, and companions—could we become even more individualized and isolated in an AI-driven world?
Zheng Yongnian, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, noted in an earlier discussion with Tencent Research Institute that Hannah Arendt's insights on atomization highlight how centralism can lead to the separation of people for control. Despite this, humans have an inherent need for communication and socialization. Yet, more individuals are expressing disillusionment with direct interaction, increasingly opting for communication via AI-driven social media.
Some may question whether talking about socialization in the AI age is outdated. What, then, is the relevance of investigating socialization in this context?
I believe technology is intended to help us connect more deeply with what matters, facilitating more meaningful social interactions. Socialization in the AI age should transcend AI platforms and reach real-world aspects that AI cannot replicate. Thus, we must emphasize practice, empirical experiences, and nuanced interactions.
Furthermore, beyond the socialization of individuals—which I refer to as AI for socialization—AI itself requires its own form of socialization, termed socialization for AI. Only by achieving greater social integration can AI better meet human needs.
On one hand, developers should integrate the social dimensions into AI, ensuring that social culture informs AI systems instead of limiting knowledge to purely mathematical or scientific frameworks.
On the other hand, businesses ought to look beyond profit margins, and engineering professionals must not concentrate solely on task execution. Insight from humanities and social sciences is essential to reflect on real-world challenges such as social ethics, power dynamics, inequality, and societal biases.
For more: DeepSeek inspires the 'deep seek' for humanity – Democratization of AI
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
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