China's AI app development hailed as a 'wake-up call' for US tech companies, says Trump
According to the US president, DeepSeek's ascent should encourage American companies to develop more affordable and faster artificial intelligence solutions. Read Full Article at RT.com.
President Donald Trump characterized China's DeepSeek AI as a major “wake-up call” for US tech firms, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and the need for American companies to enhance their AI capabilities to remain competitive.
Created by the Hangzhou-based startup DeepSeek Inc., the AI assistant launched last week and quickly became the top application on Apple’s US App Store, outpacing US competitor OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
During a speech in Florida on Monday, Trump addressed the app’s rapid success, noting its faster and more economical development. “That’s good because you don’t have to spend this much money. I view that as a positive, as an asset,” he stated.
He urged that “the release of DeepSeek AI from a Chinese company should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win,” suggesting that it should inspire US companies to create more cost-effective alternatives.
Trump further remarked that instead of investing enormous sums, companies could “spend less” to achieve equivalent results, expressing confidence that the US has “the greatest scientists in the world” to compete with DeepSeek.
DeepSeek’s rapid rise reflects ongoing tensions between the US and China in the AI arena, with Washington employing export controls to hinder Beijing's access to advanced chips. However, the app's success has raised concerns about maintaining US technological leadership. The company claims to have utilized less advanced chips than those employed by ChatGPT or Meta’s latest products, all while delivering similar performance.
Opinions among US officials on DeepSeek are mixed. David Sacks, Trump’s White House AI and cryptocurrency chief, echoed Trump’s cautiously optimistic perspective, posting on X that it “shows that the AI race will be very competitive.” On the other hand, House Speaker Mike Johnson referred to the new AI as “a serious threat,” accusing China of “abusing” the trade system and “stealing” US intellectual property.
Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the US House Select Committee on China, also expressed concerns that the app could jeopardize US national security and suggested that Washington should explore methods to curtail its dissemination.
“The US cannot allow CCP [Chinese Communist Party] models such as DeepSeek to risk our national security and leverage our technology to advance their AI ambitions. We must work to swiftly place stronger export controls on technologies critical to DeepSeek’s AI infrastructure,” he said.
James del Carmen for TROIB News