This year, it is something far simpler: An app for people worried about dying alone. The bluntly named “Are You Dead?” platform rocketed to the top of the app store charts in China before going viral globally. DeepSeek was China’s splashy tech moment; “Are You Dead?” is the hangover. In the race to make machines more human, China’s first breakout app of the year just asks if you still have a pulse. Catherine Thorbecke is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia tech.

Source: Taipei Times January 26, 2026 17:50 UTC