Part 6/9:
In January 2025, on the day President Trump was inaugurated, Deep Seek revealed its groundbreaking R1 model. With a staggering 671 billion parameters—more than double that of OpenAI's GPT-4—this model showcased not only technological prowess but also cost efficiency. Leong's streamlined approach, focusing on speed and optimization, allowed his team to develop a product rivaling the West's best, achieving it with only $5.6 million of funding.
A Shift in Power Dynamics
The launch of Deep Seek R1 abruptly shifted the market capitalization of established Western tech companies while highlighting China's growing role in the global AI landscape. Investors woke up to a hard truth: China was no longer just a contender; it was emerging as a leader in AI innovation.