DeepSeek AI deployed for translation amid Myanmar earthquake relief efforts
This photo illustration shows the DeepSeek app on a mobile phone in Beijing on Jan. 27, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Communication continues to be a major challenge during emergencies like earthquakes, especially with the language barriers between foreign aid groups.
State media reported on Wednesday that China is utilizing DeepSeek AI for translation to assist aid groups from diverse backgrounds in their efforts to address the aftermath of two catastrophic earthquakes in Myanmar.
Language barriers have been a major obstacle for foreign aid organizations and rescue teams.
The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar stated that it has been using a translation system, developed on the DeepSeek platform, which supports Chinese, Myanmar, and English, to aid in earthquake relief efforts.
On Friday, two powerful earthquakes measuring magnitudes 7.7 and 6.4 struck Myanmar and Thailand, with the epicenter located in the Sagaing region, which is reported to have experienced the worst damage.
According to Myanmar’s State Administration Council information team, the death toll in Myanmar has reached 2,886, with 4,639 people injured and 373 still missing.
The translation system was created in just seven hours by a language service team established by the Secretariat of the National Language Service Corps of China and Beijing Language and Culture University.
The National Language Service Corps of China is a public-service alliance created to offer language support during public emergencies and other critical national tasks, assisting in overcoming communication barriers.
China has sent aid as well as nearly 30 rescue teams comprising over 500 members to Myanmar.
