DeepSeek Founder Prioritizes AGI Over Profit, Commits to Open-Source Models, Yicai Reports

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is prioritizing the long-term development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) over short-term profits and will likely keep its most advanced models open-source. The statements were made by founder Liang Wenfeng during a recent investor meeting, according to a Thursday report from state-owned media outlet Yicai.

Strategic Priorities

In a four-hour meeting with investors, Liang Wenfeng outlined a strategy centered on achieving AGI rather than maximizing immediate financial returns, Yicai reported, citing a transcript of the session. He argued to investors that an open-source development model and commercial monetization are not mutually exclusive strategies.

This approach is notable as DeepSeek gained global attention last year after its low-cost V3 and R1 models challenged assumptions about China's ability to compete with U.S. AI leaders. The commitment to open-source could further disrupt the competitive landscape by accelerating AI development and adoption.

Funding and Competition

The strategic update follows DeepSeek's recent completion of its first-ever fundraising round, which gave the company a valuation of approximately $52 billion. This move reverses a long-held strategy of rejecting external capital.

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The decision to seek outside investment was reportedly driven by growing pressure from heavily funded domestic rivals. The competitive field includes technology giants like ByteDance and prominent AI startups such as Moonshot and Z.ai, all vying for market share and talent in China's rapidly expanding AI sector.

Navigating a Resource Gap

Liang identified computing power as the company's single biggest constraint, stating that the primary gap with U.S. competitors is access to resources rather than a lack of technical know-how. This highlights the critical role of advanced hardware in the global AI race.

To address this, DeepSeek plans to build its own large AI computing clusters in the future. However, the company has not decided whether to develop proprietary AI chips, with Liang quoted as saying, "I hope to be able to buy chips at a reasonable price so that I don’t have to make chips myself." This preference is set against a backdrop of U.S. export controls limiting China's access to the most advanced AI semiconductors.