The drivers of AI鈥檚 future
In Paris this week, a global summit on artificial intelligence was as freewheeling and inquisitive as the researchers making AI breakthroughs. India鈥檚 leader, for example, spoke of 鈥渞e-skilling our people鈥� for an AI-driven future. France warned against too much red tape on AI.
鈥淚f we regulate before we innovate, we won鈥檛 have any innovation of our own,鈥� President Emmanuel Macron told France 2 television.
Many leaders promised big investments in AI research or guarantees of electricity for the computer chips driving AI鈥檚 demanding software. The United Kingdom鈥檚 technology secretary, Peter Kyle, told Politico that trends in AI 鈥渁re being set by the power of the technology itself.鈥�
So far, the power behind AI is mainly the intelligence, creativity, and curiosity expressed by those lifting the technology to new levels. That fact hung over the summit 鈥� and was made clear to the world 鈥� after the Chinese company DeepSeek revealed its latest AI model in January.聽聽
DeepSeek鈥檚 advances in cost efficiency stunned competitors. Yet the biggest surprise was how the founder, engineer Liang Wenfeng, broke through mental barriers in a China that has long prized profits and simple refinement of technology invented elsewhere.
Mr. Liang chose an open-source approach that allows outsiders to contribute, rather than rushing to commercialization. He sees accessibility and affordability as gifts to users. 鈥淕iving is actually an extra honor,鈥� he told the Chinese news outlet 36Kr.
He says attracting users is not the purpose. Rather, achieving the highest possible breakthroughs in AI is the goal.聽
In 2023, Mr. Liang started a research lab that hired more than 100 young engineers 鈥� as well as graduates in literature 鈥� who have the 鈥渃onfidence鈥� to be original rather than imitative. China, he said, must 鈥渂ecome a contributor, rather than just a free rider鈥� in technology.
His style is more followership than leadership. 鈥淓veryone has his or her own unique growth experience and ideas, and there is no need to push him or her,鈥� said Mr. Liang. He gives workers a 鈥渓uxury鈥� that few in China enjoy 鈥� the freedom to experiment and a collaborative culture, a former DeepSeek researcher told MIT Technology Review.
Innovation, said Mr. Liang, 鈥渞equires curiosity and creativity鈥� and that the quest for new ideas by 鈥渉igh-density鈥� talent is the company鈥檚 鈥渕oat鈥� against competitors.
鈥淭he most important thing now is to participate in the wave of global innovation,鈥� he said. During this week鈥檚 summit on AI, that spirit of exploration was exactly what world leaders were trying to find.
