DeepSeek a year on: how a little-known Chinese start-up sparked a global AI arms race

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Ben JiangJanuary 19, 2026 at 03:00 PM

AI Summary

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One year ago, DeepSeek, a relatively unknown AI start-up based in Hangzhou, China, released its R1 reasoning model, sparking a global AI arms race. The open-source model, launched on January 20, 2025, demonstrated China's advanced AI capabilities and challenged the assumption that US technology curbs would stifle Chinese innovation. Experts likened the event to the "Sputnik moment," suggesting China was closer to the US in AI development than previously thought. DeepSeek's achievement, accomplished with limited resources and despite US export controls, signaled China's determination to overcome technological barriers. The company's emergence has changed the dynamic between the US and China in the AI sector.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Interconnected Capital 30% Morningstar 30% Chelsey Tam 30% Soviet Union 40% Hangzhou ×240% Kevin Xu 40% Donald Trump 50% Sputnik ×260% China ×680% United States ×780% DeepSeek ×690%

Keywords

deepseek 100% artificial intelligence 90% china 80% ai arms race 70% us 70% export controls 60% technology curbs 60% innovation 50% open-source 50% r1 reasoning model 40%

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Positive

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South China Morning Post

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Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

China

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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deepseek artificial intelligence china ai arms race us export controls technology curbs innovation open-source r1 reasoning model

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