AI race, who has the advantage?

With the belief that artificial intelligence (AI) intervention will create the next big wave of growth, the world is being pulled into the AI ​​“race”.

AI offers enormous potential and has proven to be a key lever for achieving economic advantage. (Source: Image created by ChatGPT)

AI is undergoing a period of major change, as global economies make drastic moves to consolidate and secure their positions in the era of technological competition. Washington has committed more than $500 billion (the Stargate Project led by the US's OpenAI and Japan's SoftBank) to enhance AI capabilities.

Meanwhile, China's DeepSeek has revolutionized cost-effective AI models, putting the country years ahead in the fierce race.

In this global race, India’s response is second only to the US. Indians believe they have the best math and tech talent in the world, so why not make ChatGPT or DeepSeek themselves? “India’s mission” in the AI ​​revolution, recently announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aspires to be a key “global player,” not just a consumer of AI, but also an innovator, trainer, and implementer of AI.

Of course, there are many other “big and small forces” on the AI ​​track…

Accelerate

On the eve of the AI ​​Action Summit in Paris (February 10-11), French President Emmanuel Macron announced a 109 billion Euro investment as a foundation for France to join the leading AI race. This move is considered to demonstrate the determination of a European leader, aiming to provide a catalyst for the "old continent" to accelerate in the global technology race.

European startups have long been judged - lagging behind their American and Chinese competitors, as they face an uphill battle due to lack of funding, access to resources... But the aforementioned huge investment, "for France, this is equivalent to what the US announced about Stargate", Mr. Macron believes.

The United States remains the undisputed leader in the AI ​​race, with Silicon Valley giants like Google, OpenAI, and Nvidia at the forefront. Its dominance is underpinned by massive funding from not only the government, but also venture capital and a culture of innovation.

America’s leadership role is not limited to economic and military strength. AI has even become a kind of soft power, creating a special appeal for the land of the stars and stripes. Illustrating America’s leading role in the AI ​​industry are ChatGPT, Tesla self-driving cars… effective tools that have “exported” American values ​​of innovation, entrepreneurship, breakthrough technology, and risk-taking, thereby attracting talent from other countries in the world.

The US has long dominated AI, but the sudden rise of Beijing-based tech startup DeepSeek has come as a shock.

It is unclear whether there was any calculation, but Beijing's shocking AI model "made waves" right when Donald Trump returned to the White House (January 20). Even more shocking was that just a week later, DeepSeek's service attracted more users than "long-time giants" like OpenAI or Google. The stocks of many American corporations in the semiconductor and AI fields "evaporated" hundreds of billions of dollars.

The 21st century has seen AI evolve from a niche scientific endeavor to a transformative global force. Innovations such as machine learning, generative AI, and artificial intelligence are now underpinning industries from healthcare to defense, reshaping economies and redefining geopolitical power.

According to PwC, by 2030, AI is estimated to contribute more than $15 trillion to global GDP. AI has huge potential and has proven to be a key lever for economic advantage, with leading countries gaining competitive advantages in productivity, innovation, and even military capabilities.

DeepSeek “Revolution”

After the world was stunned by DeepSeek's unexpected breakthrough, industry insiders commented that China's AI actually did not have many strengths or really make a breakthrough in the market. However, DeepSeek is said to have changed the "global AI technology game" with surprisingly low costs while still being effective - it can be said to be competitive enough, even surpassing other AIs currently on the market in terms of performance, because it has optimized many factors.

Putting aside the technical factors, observers admit that DeepSeek has successfully carried out a spectacular “psychological warfare” move. While the leading position of American technology giants such as OpenAI and Meta still overshadows the progress of all competitors, an emerging name has become the center of attention – “announcing” China’s position in the global AI race. In particular, DeepSeek’s extremely low cost – only 6 million USD – has set a “new standard” in development.

The strength of Chinese AI is being promoted as much less expensive but as effective as any product, raising doubts about American power - right when President Trump launched the $500 billion Stargate Project to assert the number one position.

In fact, the days when DeepSeek was “on the throne” were also the worst days for US tech stock indexes. Nvidia and Meta stocks suffered significant losses, with Nvidia shares down more than 12%. The decline was attributed to concerns that the US tech industry was falling behind and that China was gaining the advantage in the race.

DeepSeek has investors reassessing the competitive landscape in the AI ​​industry, raising concerns about the sustainability of US technological dominance in the future. There have been concerns - are US companies overvalued and too much expected of AI advances?

The low-cost AI model, which President Donald Trump called a “warning” for American technology companies, has caused a stir around the world, calling it a “wake-up call” – it is time for Europe to accelerate its AI development to avoid falling behind, according to the AI ​​Action Summit statement.

Of course, the truth of DeepSeek’s $6 million cost is still up for debate. The launch of DeepSeek may fade into oblivion as other competitors surpass it. However, DeepSeek is not just a symbolic value, nor a technological victory, it is also considered a strategic step forward in terms of trade and geopolitics for China with more limited resources and manpower.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/duong-dua-ai-loi-the-thuoc-ve-ai-304960.html