87: The AI Cold War Accelerates
DeepSeek Disrupts the US Plan for Digital Dominance
The race to develop advanced artificial intelligence has entered a new and dangerous phase. Over the past week, a series of events have highlighted the intensifying AI Cold War between the United States and China.
Chinese developers, led by the rising AI powerhouse DeepSeek, have unveiled a new methodology that produces smarter and cheaper AI models. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has responded with aggressive executive orders and ambitious plans to expand AI infrastructure—despite the president's limited grasp of the technology.
The DeepSeek Disruption
DeepSeek has shocked the global AI community by developing highly efficient models that outperform their American counterparts in key benchmarks, all while using less powerful hardware. Metaviews has tested DeepSeek ourselves, and found the results to be impressive. Understandably there has also been skepticism, as people hope this is just propaganda.
However this breakthrough, no matter the scale, undermines U.S. export controls meant to stifle China's technological advancement and positions DeepSeek as an attractive alternative for developers worldwide. With its open-source and low-cost approach, DeepSeek threatens to shift AI innovation away from Silicon Valley, mirroring the user migration from TikTok to RedNote.
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Trump's AI Gambit: Infrastructure and Contradictions
In response to China's AI advancements, the Trump administration has issued an executive order titled "Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence." This directive aims to eliminate regulations perceived as obstacles to AI development and promotes large-scale infrastructure investments.
This policy seeks to construct AI superclusters, potentially leveraging locations like Greenland for massive data centers—a notion that seems ludicrous until one considers the influence of figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman within Trump's inner circle. These tech evangelists, who see artificial general intelligence (AGI) as imminent and world-dominating, have found a willing ally in Trump.
However, the administration's AI strategy is riddled with contradictions. On one hand, Trump has signed an executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across federal agencies. On the other, another executive order demands AI systems be free from bias—an objective that inherently requires DEI principles. This paradox reveals a profound misunderstanding of how AI systems are trained and refined, potentially sabotaging America's AI competitiveness.
Further complicating the landscape, TikTok has become a flashpoint once again. Reports suggest a U.S. takeover is imminent, with speculation that American tech giants—Oracle and possibly Meta—are already influencing the platform's algorithm. Users have noticed a significant shift in content recommendation patterns, fueling conspiracy theories that TikTok is no longer the same platform. This perceived shift may push users further towards alternatives, highlighting the unintended consequences of political interventions in digital spaces.
The Greenland AI Speculation
Among the more bizarre twists is Trump's renewed interest in acquiring Greenland. While initially dismissed as a geopolitical fantasy, recent speculation suggests that the administration sees Greenland as an ideal site for AI infrastructure. The island's cold climate and vast landmass make it a prime location for data centers, offering natural cooling and proximity to undersea cables linking North America and Europe. Though seemingly outlandish, Trump's penchant for grandiose deals and the influence of AI-obsessed advisors make this scenario not entirely implausible.
As the AI Cold War escalates, the U.S. finds itself at a crossroads. Will the Trump administration's deregulation and nationalist approach foster innovation, or will it lead to further erosion of America's technological edge? Can the U.S. compete with DeepSeek's model of open source, cost-effective AI? And, crucially, can an administration that rejects DEI truly create capable AI?
These questions underscore the complexity of the current AI landscape. While nationalistic fervor fuels grand promises, the reality is that AI thrives on collaboration, diversity, and openness—qualities that are increasingly at odds with political rhetoric.
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