Letters | DeepSeek’s open-source approach embodies ancient Chinese wisdom
Readers discuss the Chinese AI company’s decision to keep its models open source, and the global reaction to its breakthrough
After DeepSeek made waves, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that in his personal view “we have been on the wrong side of history” and need to figure out an open-source strategy.
DeepSeek’s models are open source, meaning they are freely available for anyone to use and modify. While this promotes collaboration and innovation in the artificial intelligence (AI) community, DeepSeek’s highly cost-efficient AI models have the potential to disrupt existing market dynamics. This has led to fears of a potential AI pricing war, which could hurt the profit margins of US AI firms.
Moreover, DeepSeek’s open-source approach broadens access to advanced AI technology, enabling a wide variety of users – such as smaller businesses, researchers and developers – to engage with cutting-edge AI tools. This can foster increased innovation and contributes to a more diverse and vibrant AI ecosystem, but it also challenges the traditional dominance of established players such as OpenAI, Google and Meta.
Western philosophy and business practices often emphasise competition and innovation as drivers of progress. There is nothing wrong with that. However, what I have found is that the principles of openness and generosity in the open-source community can be seen as reflecting ancient Chinese wisdom.
In Chinese philosophy, there are many ideas that emphasise harmony, unity and mutual benefit. For example, Confucianism advocates benevolence, righteousness and the importance of social harmony. The idea of sharing knowledge and resources for the greater good aligns with the Confucian emphasis on the collective well-being.
Taoism teaches the concept of wuwei (non-action) and the natural flow of things. Open-source approaches can be seen as a natural way of sharing and allowing ideas to flow freely, in harmony with the world.