Front Burner

DeepSeek and China's AI power move

The Chinese tech company DeepSeek is causing major waves in the AI industry - what are they doing that’s making everyone rethink AI’s future?
A phone with the DeepSeek logo displayed is seen in front of the ChatGPT logo.
Deepseek and ChatGPT logos are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

A small Chinese tech company called Deepseek has upended the world of AI.  Deepseek recently released a large language model that rivals ChatGP called R1 and it shot almost immediately to #1 on the app charts. 

The interesting thing about it is that the company built their model really cheap and that has called into question this narrative that you need an endless supply of chips and data centres and money to develop AI.

On today's show we're speaking to WIRED's senior tech writer Zeyi Yang about the deepening AI cold war between the US and China and the lingering questions about where AI is headed and what it's good for?

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

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