https://arab.news/jpsq6
Artificial intelligence leaders like OpenAI and DeepMind see themselves as being in a race to build artificial general intelligence: a model capable of performing any intellectual task that a human can. At the same time, the US and Chinese governments see the AI race as a national security priority that demands massive investments reminiscent of the Manhattan Project. In both cases, AI is seen as a new form of hard power, accessible only to superpowers with vast computational resources and the means to convert them into economic and military dominance.
But this view is incomplete and increasingly outdated. Since the Chinese developer DeepSeek launched its lower-cost, competitively performing model earlier this year, we have been in a new era. No longer is the ability to build cutting-edge AI tools confined to a few tech giants. Multiple high-performing models have emerged around the world, showing that AI’s true potential lies in its potential to extend soft power.
The era of bigger-is-better models ended in 2024. Since then, model superiority has not been determined solely by scale (based on ever more data and computing power). DeepSeek proved not only that top-tier models can be built without massive capital, but also that introducing advanced development techniques can radically accelerate AI progress globally. Dubbed the “Robin Hood of AI democratization,” its decision to go open-source sparked a wave of innovation.
