The Chinese New Year celebrations have showcased a different approach to innovation. Instead of making new year’s resolutions, the Chinese have created new facts. DeepSeek, an interactive AI system, went online on January 10, 2025 and quickly surpassed OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google AI’s Gemini in its capabilities.
Alibaba Group, a Chinese e-commerce giant, has now released its own AI flagship, Qwen2.5-Max, which is reportedly more powerful than DeepSeek-V3, ChatGPT-4o, Llama-3.1 and Grok. Qwen2.5-Max is a free AI application, unlike its Western counterparts, which charge for premium services.
The new AI system can perform a wide range of tasks, from generating photorealistic images to coding at a senior developer level. Its API is compatible with ChatGPT, posing a significant challenge to OpenAI.
The rise of Chinese AI systems has significant implications for the global tech industry. The US tech giants, which have invested heavily in AI research, are now facing a new reality. The Chinese approach to AI, which emphasizes free and open access, is a game-changer.
The article also touches on the geopolitical implications of the AI race, mentioning the US’s investment of $500 billion in AGI research and the Chinese government’s support for AI development.
The author, Elem Chintsky, is a journalist who has written on various topics, including geopolitics, history, finance and culture.