Deepseek's artificial intelligence model has been hailed as "probably the best work" out of China by Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind. He described the model as "an impressive piece of work," highlighting its remarkable engineering. Despite these accolades, Hassabis cautioned that the excitement surrounding the AI model might be "exaggerated," noting that it employs "known techniques" without any groundbreaking scientific advancements. The model has ignited discussions on the future path toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), a goal that aims to create a system with "all the cognitive capabilities humans have."
Deepseek claimed its AI model was developed at a significantly reduced cost compared to leading AI players, using less-advanced Nvidia chips. This assertion has drawn skepticism from industry experts who question whether the development expenses were indeed lower. Nonetheless, Hassabis acknowledged the geopolitical implications of Deepseek's engineering feats, stating that the AI model "changes things on a geopolitical scale."
"is probably the best work" – Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind
"despite the hype, there's no actual new scientific advance" – Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind
The AI industry continues to debate when AGI will become a reality. Hassabis and other industry leaders, such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, maintain that significant strides toward AGI are being made. Altman expressed confidence in their understanding of how to build AGI as traditionally conceived. Meanwhile, Hassabis emphasized that Deepseek's model demonstrates "extremely good engineering" but does not introduce novel scientific breakthroughs.
"extremely good engineering" – Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind
"it's using known techniques" – Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind
The announcement of Deepseek's AI model led to an aggressive stock sell-off and raised questions about whether major tech companies are overspending on AI infrastructure. The debate over investment in AI technologies continues to intensify among stakeholders. Prominent AI scientists Max Tegmark and Yoshua Bengio have shared their concerns regarding these advancements, warning of potential risks if humans lose control over these sophisticated systems.
"a system that exhibits all the cognitive capabilities humans have" – Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind