DeepSeek, one of China’s leading artificial intelligence companies, has made headlines in the tech world with a statement that has sparked concern. Chen Deli, one of the company’s senior researchers, stated that he has negative views about the potential impact of artificial intelligence on society. This statement is particularly significant because it comes from a country like China, where technology is closely regulated by the state. Chen expressed these concerns at the government-organized World Internet Conference.
Fear of AI is growing: Even Chinese giant DeepSeek is concerned about its own technology
Speaking at the conference in Wuzhen, Chen Deli said, “I have a very positive view of technology, but I see the impact it could have on society as negative.” According to Chen, artificial intelligence will be advanced enough to replace humans within the next decade, posing a threat to employment. The researcher stated, “Society may face a major challenge,” emphasizing that tech companies must take on the role of “defenders” to protect humanity from disaster.
DeepSeek suddenly rose to the top of the tech world earlier this year with the release of its cutting-edge large language model, DeepSeek-R1. The little-known AI wing of a Hangzhou-based investment fund, the company remained silent for most of the year following this success. In January, Chen described the model’s success as “dreamlike.” However, no one from the company spoke publicly until Chen’s latest statement, which followed founder Liang Wenfeng’s meeting with President Xi Jinping in February.
AI disaster scenarios from US tech leaders (like OpenAI’s Sam Altman) are often dismissed as “publicity” to raise investment. However, the situation is different in China. The government maintains tight control over the technology. Chen’s pessimistic statements are interpreted as aligning more closely with the official views of the Chinese government than the exaggerations of US executives. This suggests that the concerns are not just technical but also politically motivated.
DeepSeek is at the heart of China’s plan for “algorithmic dominance.” This plan aims to reach the highest level of AI without foreign interference. The company recently released an experimental model that creates an alternative version of Nvidia’s CUDA API and supports Chinese-made GPUs. This step clearly demonstrates the company’s goal of technological independence.
These warnings from the DeepSeek researcher are also consistent with recent statements by President Xi Jinping. He recently stated that a global body should be established to govern AI and that AI should be a tool for “the public good of the international community.” Now, a DeepSeek representative has emphasized a similar danger, suggesting that China is taking a unified approach to AI.
What are your thoughts on these alarming statements from the Chinese AI giant? Do you believe AI will take our jobs in the future?
