Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, told the FT that the rapid adoption of Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek’s technology in emerging markets such as Africa underscores the competition American firms face around the world.
His comments come as new research from Microsoft found that the release of DeepSeek’s R1 large language model a year ago helped accelerate the uptake of AI worldwide, particularly in the global south, due to its “accessibility and low cost”.
That has also led to China overtaking the US in the global market for so-called “open” AI models, which are often free to use, modify and integrate by developers.
I’d imagine because AI in China isn’t a massive for-profit cult propped up by technofascists with speculative values greater than the combined GDP of entire countries who have basically seized political power and are now running amok.
China is many things but they are not stupid. Handling AI the way the west has would be an extreme threat to their own authority and control.
China is definitely stupid about something, but “let’s.join the current USA bubble” doesn’t seem to be it.