In the realm of the rapidly evolving world of technology, some moments have grabbed global attention as quickly as the surge of DeepSeek, founded in Hangzhou, China, by Liang Wenfeng in July 2023. With its recent entry into the US market in January 2025, DeepSeek’s AI assistant app has given birth to a wave of fear and controversy, mainly highlighted by the West and the US, particularly due to its alleged censorship of politically sensitive topics, most notably the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. As the world witnesses the app’s spread, it is pivotal to consider whether DeepSeek’s launch represents a “Sputnik Moment” — a term coined during the Cold War to describe a technological development competition that resulted in a severe rivalry in global geopolitics, specifically between America and the USSR.

Exploring the Rise of DeepSeek

This article explores the rise of DeepSeek, the potential geopolitical implications for China and the US, and how the app’s lower cost may offer significant benefits, especially to emerging markets. The article further highlights the broader context of the ongoing contest for supremacy in AI........

© The Spine Times