Catherine Thorbecke: Forget DeepSeek, Dying Alone Is China’s Latest Tech Obsession

Catherine Thorbecke: Forget DeepSeek, dying alone is China’s latest tech obsession

This time last year, the hottest Chinese tech product was DeepSeek’s market-moving artificial intelligence model. In 2026, it’s 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. The interface is almost aggressively plain. Users, largely people living alone, tap to confirm they are still alive. Miss two da…

'Protect every solitary moment': The viral app that asks users if they're still alive

A popular Chinese app aims to address the issue of 'empty nesters' who die and are only found days, weeks, or even months later.

Catherine Thorbecke: A great new app asks if you're dead

This time last year, the hottest Chinese tech product was DeepSeek’s market-moving artificial intelligence model. In 2026, it’s something far...

Forget DeepSeek, dying alone is China’s latest tech obsession

This time last year, the hottest Chinese tech product was DeepSeek’s market-moving artificial intelligence model. In 2026, it’s something far simpler: an app for people worried about dying alone.