Beijing's digital push: DeepSeek challenges US in AI race
According to the analytical company Graphika, Chinese social media accounts connected to the government in Beijing supported the launch of the DeepSeek company's chatbot, reported Reuters on Friday. Among these accounts were profiles belonging to diplomats, media, and state institutions.
The accounts promoted the actions of the DeepSeek company, "amplified media coverage of the launch and promoted the idea that DeepSeek challenged U.S. dominance in the AI sector," the agency noted.
Beijing was supposed to support an important launch
This message was disseminated on platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on Chinese services like Toutiao and Weibo.
"This activity shows how China is able to quickly mobilize a range of actors that seed and amplify online narratives casting Beijing as surpassing the U.S. in critical areas of geopolitical competition, including the race to develop and deploy the most advanced AI technologies," Jack Stubbs, one of the analysts at Graphika, told Reuters.
"He was recently seen at a meeting hosted by China's premier Li Qiang, reflecting DeepSeek's growing prominence in the AI industry," he added.
Companies Alphabet, Meta, X, and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment on the report cited by Reuters.
Graphika is a US company engaged in analysing internet traffic, specialising in the study of online disinformation.
Who is behind the Chinese startup related to AI?
On Monday (27th January), there were sharp declines in the shares of technology companies related to AI on Wall Street. The reason was information about a new artificial intelligence model developed by the Chinese startup DeepSeek. It caused concern among investors, as its creators claim it was produced at a fraction of the costs incurred by Silicon Valley.
The media admit that not much is known about the creator of DeepSeek. The company was founded in December 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, who graduated from Zhejiang University with degrees in electronic information engineering and computer science.
"He was recently seen at a meeting hosted by China's premier Li Qiang, reflecting DeepSeek's growing prominence in the AI industry," writes the BBC.
Wenfeng has experience in finance. He is the CEO of a hedge fund named High-Flyer, which uses artificial intelligence to analyse financial data for making investment decisions. In 2019, High-Flyer became the first hedge fund in China to raise over 100 billion yuan (£11 billion).
