Interview with Deepseek Founder: We’re Done Following. It’s Time to Lead
Editor’s Note:
DeepSeek-R1 is shaking Silicon Valley. Founder Liang Wenfeng: "We're done following. It's time to lead."
Silicon Valley is reeling. A seismic shift in AI dominance is underway, and all eyes are on China. In January 2025, DeepSeek-R1—an open-source inference model from Chinese AI firm DeepSeek—sent shockwaves through the tech world by matching OpenAI’s top-tier performance at 1/30th the API cost, all while embracing full openness.
With just $6 million, China built one of the world’s finest AI models, dwarfing the billions spent by Meta, Google, and Microsoft. Already, global users—especially individuals and SMEs—are flocking to DeepSeek-R1, retraining it as their foundational model.
This Eastern-led revolution is forcing a global reckoning: What if AI’s future isn’t forged in Silicon Valley?
Translated from a July 2024 interview with DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng—conducted shortly after the company’s open-source V2 model catapulted it to fame—this rare dialogue unveils how a Chinese startup dared to leapfrog giants and redefine innovation’s rules.