AI's Double-Edged Sword: A Chinese Tech Leader Speaks Out

DeepSeek, a rising star in China's AI scene, has made waves with its advanced language model, DeepSeek-R1. But not everyone is celebrating. Chen Deli, a senior researcher at DeepSeek, recently shared some sobering thoughts about AI's future. At a government event, Chen admitted that while he's excited about the technology, he's worried about its impact on society. He believes AI could threaten jobs in the next decade, making humans obsolete in many areas. This isn't just idle chatter; Chen thinks tech companies have a responsibility to step up and protect society from these potential harms. DeepSeek's journey has been impressive. Starting as an unknown AI branch of a hedge fund, it quickly gained attention with its powerful, low-cost model. After a meeting with President Xi Jinping earlier this year, the company kept a low profile until Chen's recent remarks. Chen's concerns echo those of other AI experts, but there's a difference. In the U. S. , similar warnings often sound like hype or a way to attract investment. In China, however, such statements carry more weight, given the government's heavy involvement in tech regulation. DeepSeek is also part of a bigger picture. China is pushing for "algorithmic sovereignty, " aiming to develop AI independently, without relying on foreign technology. DeepSeek's recent "experimental" LLM version supports Chinese GPUs, aligning with this goal. President Xi recently called for a global body to govern AI, emphasizing its role as a "public good. " Chen's warnings add to this discussion, highlighting the need for a unified approach to mitigate AI's risks.