BEIJING (Reuters) – The surge of the enigmatic AI company, DeepSeek, symbolizes the notable advancement of Chinese enterprises in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), as conveyed by a spokesperson for China’s parliament during a press briefing on Tuesday. Lou Qinjian, in response to a query concerning China’s strides in AI, expressed admiration for the accomplishments of DeepSeek’s youthful team, deeming their progress as praiseworthy.
“DeepSeek’s commitment to an open-source strategy and its dedication to the global dissemination of AI technology not only showcases innovation but also offers a platform for the contribution of Chinese expertise on a worldwide scale,” he remarked. “The emergence of enterprises like DeepSeek underscores the essence of innovation and inclusivity characterizing China’s technological evolution.”
The AI startup DeepSeek has garnered acclaim within China following its recent disruption of the global tech sector through the introduction of AI models that are substantially more cost-effective compared to those developed by competing American entities such as OpenAI. Despite facing scrutiny in certain countries like South Korea and Italy, resulting in the removal of DeepSeek’s chatbot from their national app stores due to privacy apprehensions, the company has found robust support within China. Various local authorities and technology firms within China have actively integrated DeepSeek’s technology into their operational frameworks.
Based in Hangzhou, the company is currently fast-tracking the launch of the forthcoming iteration of its R1 model, as reported by Reuters in the previous month. (Reporting by Liz Lee and Yukun Zhang; writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Sonali Paul and Kim Coghill)
