Mike talks with Mark Roeder, author on technology’s impact, about the disruptive rise of China’s DeepSeek AI.

Previously, the strongest AI models were believed to require billions of dollars, vast energy, and cutting-edge chips—keeping dominance in the hands of major American firms like OpenAI and Google.

However, DeepSeek changed this narrative. Developed for just a few million dollars, it rivals top AI models but costs only $2 a month, compared to OpenAI’s $200. As an open-source model, DeepSeek allows anyone to modify its code, echoing OpenAI’s original mission before it became proprietary.

DeepSeek’s accessibility and affordability have quickly made it the top AI app, surpassing ChatGPT in Apple’s App Store and gaining global media attention. Even President Trump called it “a wakeup call.”

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