If you were paying attention to US politics in the 1970s, you would know the first part of the title. "Deep Throat" is a name that became infamous during the Watergate scandal, where a mysterious whistleblower provided crucial information to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, ultimately contributing to President Nixon’s downfall in 1974. For movie lovers, the story was brought to life in All the President's Men (1976) with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman playing Woodward and Bernstein.
However, the first part of the title refers to something else as well which I prefer not to elaborate here for the sake of decorum; and if you are tech-savvy (which you most likely are) you would already know what the second part of the title refers to.
The "deep" metaphor signifies a shift from superficial to more profound engagement with knowledge. In recent years, "deep learning"-- a form of machine learning -- has gained prominence. Deep learning may be the antidote to both shallow learning and "deep fake" technologies, which manipulate media to create false realities.
The rise of DeepSeek
The introduction of DeepSeek -- an artificial intelligence (AI) tool -- has raised significant attention. Initially released in its first version in 2023, it didn't garner much interest. However, the release of DeepSeek v3 in January 2025 sparked global reactions, particularly in Silicon Valley and Wall Street, where the AI revolution has taken root.
The creator of DeepSeek is Liang Wenfeng, a 39-year-old graduate of Zhejiang University, one of China's oldest and most respected public institutions, located in Hangzhou. While DeepSeek may not have initially made waves, its release marked a critical turning point in AI development, challenging long-held assumptions about American dominance in technology.
Zhejiang University holds a significant place in the world of academia. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2025, Tsinghua and Peking Universities from China ranked 12th and 13th, respectively, while the National University of Singapore came in 17th. However, in terms of scientific publication, Zhejiang University topped the list for 2024 according to Leiden ranking, surpassing even Harvard University. This prestigious institution birthed Liang Wenfeng, whose company created DeepSeek with a modest budget of $6 million. Despite the financial limitations, the technology had an enormous impact, causing $600 billion in market losses for Nvidia, the American chip making giant, when DeepSeek’s model, DeepSeek-R1, outperformed American AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s offerings.
When DeepSeek released its chatbot in January, it quickly surpassed ChatGPT in popularity, becoming the most downloaded free app in the US
Geo-political implications
The rise of DeepSeek signals the shifting global balance of power in AI. The February 2025 AI summit in France, hosted by President Macron, highlighted these tensions, with key figures like US Vice President JD Vance, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai in attendance. Interestingly, Elon Musk was conspicuously absent from the summit. The summit’s discussions centered on themes such as public interest, AI, trust, innovation, and global governance.
However, the US chose not to sign the summit’s final communique, particularly because of disagreements over terms like "sustainability." This disagreement exemplifies how technological governance is becoming the new battleground in the ongoing Cold War-style rivalry between the US and China.
The ongoing trade war between the US and China, particularly the US restrictions on Nvidia’s high-end chips to China, inadvertently benefited Chinese firms. While the US sought to restrict access to these advanced technologies, Chinese firms found ways to innovate more cost-effectively by circumventing the restrictions. This enabled DeepSeek to reduce operational costs while maintaining performance, triggering "shockwaves" throughout the global market. Nvidia's $600 billion market loss was the largest in history and a testament to the disruptive nature of DeepSeek.
DeepSeek v3
When DeepSeek released its chatbot, based on the DeepSeek-R1 model, in January, it quickly surpassed ChatGPT in popularity, becoming the most downloaded free app in the US by January 27. This rapid adoption was remarkable, considering that DeepSeek was available for free, unlike OpenAI’s services, which are typically behind paywalls.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s new AI venture, xAI, launched Grok 3, an AI chatbot that combines multiple functions, from STEM queries to coding. However, Grok 3 is a paid service, requiring a subscription to Musk’s social platform X for $40 a month. In contrast, DeepSeek remains freely available, making it an appealing alternative.
Despite its success, DeepSeek has shown some limitations in its ability to discuss sensitive topics. When asked about the Tiananmen Square protests or China’s Great Leap Forward, DeepSeek responded with a disclaimer, stating that such topics were "beyond its scope."
The Global South’s blissful ignorance
Countries in the Global South remain deeply entrenched in politics, believing that political power alone will solve their problems, while some others turn to other worldly beliefs. Meanwhile, the world moves forward with technological innovation. These nations may find themselves at a deep divide, caught between the traditional way of life (symbolized by olive trees) and the fast-paced, technology-driven future (represented by the Lexus), as coined by author Tom Friedman. The digital divide may leave many countries behind, as technological powers dominate the geopolitical landscape, with wars, economic instability, and crises threatening those who do not adapt.
The rise of DeepSeek signifies a transformative moment showing that a big budget is not the only resource that generates innovation, but good science-based universities do. Deep learning is the basis for innovation.
Habibul Haque Khondker is a sociologist and columnist.