DeepSeek A.I. Is a Win for China, but a Danger to Party Control

In 2017, China looked with admiration – and Shock – while Alphago, an artificial intelligence program supported by Google, defeated a Chinese prodigy in a complex board game, Go. The decisive loss for a foreign computer program , who had also beaten a South Korean player, was a kind of Spoutnik moment for China.

That year, Chinese officials set out a daring plan to lead the world in AI by 2030, promising billions of dollars to technology-oriented companies and researchers. From this fervor emerged Deepseek, the largely unknown Chinese start-up which has upset the technological landscape by creating a powerful model of AI with much less money than the experts thought it possible.

Deepseek is deprived, without apparent support, but his success embodies the ambitions of the best Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, who urged his country to “occupy the commanding heights” of technology. Mr. XI wants the Chinese economy to be fueled not by old engines such as real estate powered by debt and cheap exports, but by the most advanced technologies such as AI, supercalculation and green energy .

For Mr. XI, this moment helps to work the aura of superiority that the United States has held in AI, a critical field in a fierce superpower rivalry. China has arisen as a benevolent global partner of developing countries, willing to share its know-how, with Mr. XI says This AI should not be a “rich country and the rich”.

Now Deepseek has shown that it may be possible for China to make AI cheaper and more accessible for everyone. The question, however, is how the Communist Party in power manages the rise of technology that could one day be so disruptive that it could threaten its interests – and its grip on power.