Lee Kai-fu's AI Venture: Why DeepSeek is the Future

DeepSeek's recent launch of its open-source AI models has sparked a wave of excitement in China, marking what many are calling the country's own "ChatGPT moment." Lee Kai-fu, the founder and CEO of the AI start-up 01.AI, discusses this transformative time in a recent interview. He explains how the rising popularity of DeepSeek is influencing businesses across various sectors.

According to Lee, 01.AI is positioning itself to capitalize on DeepSeek's success. The company aims to provide tailored AI solutions to corporate clients in fields such as finance, video gaming, and law. "It is crucial for us to embrace DeepSeek as our main focus," said Lee, noting the significant demand from Chinese CEOs for the company's models that surged after January.

Founded in mid-2023, 01.AI is recognized as one of the leading new companies in China specializing in large language models (LLMs). Although the shift from solely developing LLMs to acting as a solutions provider began last year, it has accelerated due to what Lee has identified as a "godsend" opportunity from DeepSeek. Numerous hardware and software vendors within China are now aligning their services with the models offered by DeepSeek.

Interestingly, Lee points out that 01.AI has a unique advantage when it comes to LLM development. Only a small number of Chinese companies have the same level of expertise. By focusing on DeepSeek, Lee's company differentiates itself from competitors that rely heavily on in-house model development.

While several hardware manufacturers can offer straightforward plug-and-play solutions with extensive business functionalities, 01.AI stands out for its capacity to fine-tune DeepSeek models according to the specific needs of clients. This specialized service, according to Lee, provides a compelling edge in an increasingly competitive market.

AI, DeepSeek, Business