Kai-Fu Lee: DeepSeek narrows US-China AI core technology gap to just three months

China's gap with the U.S. in certain core AI technologies has narrowed to just three months as companies like DeepSeek have found ways to use chips and apply algorithms more efficiently, said Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of AI big-modeling company ZeroOne Everything, according to Reuters. Kai-Fu Lee is a well-known figure in the global AI field, having served as Google's head of China. He noted that the rise of Chinese startup DeepSeek shows that China has taken the lead in areas such as infrastructure software engineering. Kai-Fu Lee said, "In the past, China lagged behind the US by about six months to nine months in all areas, but now the gap may be narrowed to three months in some core technologies, and in some specific areas, China has taken the lead."