Several universities in China have introduced artificial intelligence (AI) courses based on DeepSeek, the ground-breaking Chinese AI startup, Reuters reported on Friday.
The move comes after the Hangzhou-based startup unveiled AI models that rival OpenAI’s and Meta’s most advanced models at a fraction of the cost. The release of DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1 in January was seen as a major breakthrough, sending shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley.
DeepSeek courses to teach students about key AI tech
Now, Shenzhen University, based in southern Guangdong province, said this week it launched an artificial intelligence course based on DeepSeek.
According to Reuters, the course is designed to teach students about key AI technologies, as well as security, privacy, and ethics. It will “explore how to find a balance between technological innovation and ethical norms,” it said.
Other institutions of higher learning, including Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Renmin University of China, are also integrating DeepSeek technology into their curricula and AI learning tools.
As Reuters reports, Zhejiang started holding special DeepSeek courses in February. Renmin said it is using DeepSeek in “multiple fields, injecting new power for teaching and research, campus office.”
China is looking to grow innovation in science and technology in schools and universities, as part of a long-term plan to create new sources of growth.
In January, China, the world’s second-largest economy, reportedly issued its first national action plan to build a “strong education nation” by 2035. It aims to establish a “high quality education system” with accessibility and quality “among the best in the world.”
China wants to become a leader in AI
The Chinese universities’ pivot to DeepSeek comes against the backdrop of a meeting between Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and tech leaders held on Feb. 17, where he encouraged them to “show their talent”.
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng attended the meeting with President Jinping, alongside some of the biggest names in China’s technology sector, including billionaire Alibaba founder Jack Ma.
Some analysts believe the meeting, considered in some media circles as “rare”, reflects the Chinese government’s fears about falling behind the U.S. in the technology sector.
“It’s a tacit acknowledgement that the Chinese government needs private-sector firms for its tech rivalry with the United States,” said Christopher Beddor, deputy China research director at Gavekal Dragonomics in Hong Kong, as reported by SkyNews.
Earlier in the week, state media including Xinhua endorsed DeepSeek and the benefits of allowing primary and secondary students to use the model, even though many countries discourage their students from using AI tools.
These developments come as China is literally connecting everything to DeepSeek in a national plan, that is from chatbots and smart vehicles to government departments and schools.
Recently, Chinese search engine giant Baidu announced that its Ernie bot 4.9 version had now integrated with DeepSeek-R1 to enhance students’ problem-solving capability.
With this initiative, students can take a picture of a question, and the chatbot will respond with an answer that entails detailed steps.
Earlier in February, Tencent said users of its Weixin messaging app could use DeepSeek for searches as the company was exploring the integration of multiple products with DeepSeek.
DeepSeek emerged to fame last month following the launch of its chatbot created at a fraction of the cost of other chatbots globally. The Chinese AI startup also claimed that its model was superior to popular US models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
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