How DeepSeek is Revolutionizing China's Judicial System

By Billy Jiang

Imagine you're in a courtroom, and your verdict is already written — even before you fully understand the situation. 

Sounds like a scene from a futuristic thriller, right? Well, this isn't science fiction anymore. 

China's judiciary is starting to harness the power of AI, specifically DeepSeek, to revolutionize how legal decisions are made. 

And no, it's not just the stuff of tech enthusiasts' dreams; it's already happening in real government departments.

On February 19, 2025, DeepSeek made its debut in the legal world, as it was officially integrated into the judicial system in Zhanjiang, Guangdong. 

Why is this a big deal?

Well, this is one of the first times AI has been used to streamline the judicial process in such an impactful way. 

For years, local judicial departments in China have struggled with the persistent challenges of 'too much work, too few people, and not enough efficiency.' 

In an ambitious move to break free from these constraints, the Zhanjiang Municipal Justice Bureau has launched a groundbreaking initiative — the full integration of DeepSeek's advanced language model into their judicial system.

Let's talk about what DeepSeek actually does

Thanks to the magic of AI, DeepSeek is now performing tasks that once took legal professionals hours, and sometimes days, to complete:

• 92% accuracy in automatically classifying administrative review applications. Result? A staggering 300% improvement in case distribution efficiency.
• Smart searches through a massive database of over 100,000 legal regulations and 50,000 cases, with response times down to just 3 seconds.
• 80% faster creation of administrative review decisions, and a 75% success rate in automatically generating legal review comments.

• 85% accuracy in pinpointing the key issues in legal disputes, which helps produce clear, visual analysis reports.

It's clear: DeepSeek isn't just speeding up the process — it's making it more accurate.

And Zhanjiang isn't the only place benefiting from this technological shift. 

In February alone, several other cities across China have been experimenting with AI-powered judicial tools. 

In Binzhou, Shandong Province, the local Justice Bureau is using DeepSeek to analyze draft administrative review decisions. 

DeepSeek reviews these drafts, highlights any logical or legal inconsistencies, and offers suggestions for improvement — all before a human makes the final call. 

This process helps avoid errors, reduces risks, and ultimately leads to higher-quality decisions.

Meanwhile, in Tianjin's Jinghai District, the local prosecutor's office has trained DeepSeek to analyze core judicial data. 

In cases like dangerous driving, the system automatically compares the facts against a database of previous cases and provides prosecutors with sentencing recommendations, including possible fines and prison terms. 

In other words, DeepSeek is helping judges and prosecutors make quicker, data-driven decisions, leading to faster justice.

Image via AI

So, where are we headed with all this?

DeepSeek is already pushing the boundaries of how we think about AI in public service. 

Some may argue that AI-driven verdicts could bring about a level of fairness and precision that human judges sometimes struggle to achieve. 

After all, DeepSeek doesn't suffer from bias or fatigue — it processes data with a cold, calculating logic that promises the ideal form of impartiality.

But here's the big question: Is this truly the future of justice?

Sure, DeepSeek's ability to swiftly analyze vast amounts of legal data is impressive, but can it replace the nuance and human touch needed in many cases? 

Let's face it, not every legal situation is black-and-white. 

How does an algorithm deal with those grey areas where human judgment is needed?

Before you rush to conclusions, don't worry — DeepSeek's integration doesn't mean we're saying goodbye to judges and lawyers anytime soon. 

The system is merely enhancing the human decision-making process, providing professionals with powerful tools to support their work.

READ MORE: What is DeepSeek? Here's All You Need to Know...

Could AI-driven verdicts bring us closer to a fairer and faster judicial system? Or is there something irreplaceable about the human touch in justice?

Share your thoughts with us, and stay tuned for more fascinating tech updates by following our official WeChat account, That'sShanghai.

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[Cover image via AI]

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