Unveiling DeepSeek: Who Is China's AI Visionary Liang Wenfeng?
Editor's note: In the realm of artificial intelligence, Liang Wenfeng and his creation, DeepSeek, are emerging as a \"mysterious force from the East.\" This article delves into the man behind DeepSeek, his philosophy, and his journey.
An artificial intelligence lab based in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, has set Silicon Valley abuzz with the release of its state-of-the-art model, trained at a fraction of the cost of mainstream models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. DeepSeek, founded by hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, unveiled its R1 model last Monday, accompanied by a detailed paper outlining how to train a large-scale reinforcement learning (RL) model without relying on supervised fine-tuning as a preliminary step.
Within days, DeepSeek's app soared to the top of the iPhone free app charts in both China and the United States, surpassing the once-dominant ChatGPT. The breakthrough has ignited a heated debate in Silicon Valley about whether better-resourced U.S. AI companies, including Meta and OpenAI, can maintain their technological advantage.
The Man Behind the Innovation
Liang Wenfeng graduated from Zhejiang University with a degree in artificial intelligence. He co-founded the quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer in 2016, which quickly gained recognition for its innovative use of AI-driven trading strategies. By 2021, High-Flyer had fully integrated AI into its operations, using machine learning models to predict market trends and make data-driven investment decisions.
In May 2023, Liang took a bold step by founding DeepSeek, aiming at AI-focused research to advance the field of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Unlike traditional for-profit ventures, DeepSeek was envisioned as a platform for long-term, fundamental research, where curiosity-driven exploration could drive meaningful advancements in AI.
A Philosophy of 'Long-Termism'
For Liang, DeepSeek is more than a business venture; it's a manifestation of his commitment to foundational research. He acknowledges that basic research often yields low immediate returns on investment, yet he is captivated by the challenge of exploring complex fields like finance and the potential of AGI. Liang's focus is on understanding the essence of human intelligence and the processes that underlie it, believing that such exploration is crucial despite the lack of immediate commercial incentives.
Liang has remained low-profile, granting interviews only to Anyong, a sub-brand of China's commercial tech media 36Kr, in 2023 and 2024. In these interviews, he emphasized the importance of curiosity-driven research and shared insights into his vision for the future of AI.
Recognition at the Highest Levels
Liang has become a focal point of discussion in China. Last week, he was invited to a symposium in Beijing, where Chinese Premier Li Qiang sought opinions and suggestions from experts, entrepreneurs, and representatives across various sectors—including education, science, culture, health, and sports—on a draft government work report.
DeepSeek's rapid ascent highlights the dynamic nature of China's tech landscape and its growing influence on the global stage. As AI continues to evolve, innovators like Liang Wenfeng and companies like DeepSeek are poised to play a significant role in shaping the future.
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Behind China's rising AI startup DeepSeek: Who is Liang Wenfeng?
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