In a move that could reshape the global AI race, Chinese startup DeepSeek has unveiled a powerful large language model (LLM) said to rival ChatGPT — and it may have done so without relying on high-end Nvidia chips. Instead, DeepSeek leveraged open-source AI and a cost-effective fine-tuning process to build its model, signalling a potential shift in the balance of technological power.

Beyond the technology, the implications are profound. DeepSeek’s success challenges long-held assumptions about the AI-semiconductor nexus and could weaken the strategic grip of US-led tech controls. As the world divides into three geopolitical tech blocs, DeepSeek’s emergence offers new pathways for middle-tier nations and threatens to upend existing power dynamics in the ongoing US–China chip war.

Read the full analysis to explore what DeepSeek means for AI, national security, and the future of global tech leadership.