DeepSeek, Nvidia, and AI's Global Shifts

Nova Drake

Welcome to the Weekly Review Episode. Let’s take a look at how AI News shaped up this past week. Alright, so DeepSeek. I I have to say, this is one name we’re hearing a lot lately, right? This Chinese startup has just, like, stormed into the AI market. It’s kinda wild because they’ve managed to roll out these super effective AI models really quickly and cheaply. You know, the secret sauce here is something they call "distillation." And no, it’s not for cocktails—I checked. It’s basically this way of, um, simplifying or condensing AI models from others, but that’s where people are, well, raising their eyebrows.

Nova Drake

Apparently, DeepSeek might be pulling stuff from proprietary models without permission. Like, yikes. That’s definitely sparking a lot of debates about ethics and legality. And the timing here is pretty ironic since China has all these chip export restrictions in place. But somehow, DeepSeek just, like, leapfrogged over that roadblock and said, "No problem, we got this."

Nova Drake

Now, while they’re busy shaking things up, Texas decided it wasn’t having any of it. They’ve completely banned DeepSeek and another app called RedNote on government devices. And, okay, get this—their governor, Greg Abbott, straight-up said they’re worried these apps could give the Chinese Communist Party access to sensitive data. So yeah, Texas is not messing around when it comes to protecting infrastructure. It’s like, security first, apps later.

Nova Drake

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Nova Drake

Moving on, in Australia, things are—how do I put this?—a little more divided. Some companies, like Telstra, are being super cautious. They’re like, "Hmm, let’s not rush this." But then you’ve got the Tech Council of Australia going, "Wait, let’s embrace all these cost savings and efficiencies!" So, the government’s still kinda weighing all the pros and cons here. Honestly, it’s like watching a tech version of The Bachelor. Who’s gonna get the rose—security or innovation?

Nova Drake

And if all that drama wasn’t enough, this next part is, like, a total facepalm moment. Researchers were basically like, “Hey, let’s see how strong DeepSeek’s chatbot security is." And guess what? A hundred percent success rate in hacking it. Yep, you heard me. One hundred percent. So, yeah, not great for building corporate trust there. I mean, who’s gonna wanna rely on something that folds under pressure like that?

Nova Drake

Okay, so OpenAI—it seems like they might be rethinking their whole "let's keep everything closed and secret" strategy. And why? DeepSeek, of course. I mean, when someone shows up offering knock-your-socks-off AI, but, like, way cheaper? You’ve gotta adjust your playbook. Lately, OpenAI’s hinted at maybe going more open source again, which, by the way, is such a flip from where they’ve been for years. But honestly, they’re probably thinking, "How do we stay innovative without just cozying up to big spenders?" It’s a tricky balance, for sure.

Nova Drake

Now, pivoting to Nvidia, oh man, talk about turbulence! Their stock just did this wild nosedive—yeah, like $600 billion gone in what felt like a blink. Investors are freaking out, saying it’s starting to feel like the early 2000s dot-com bubble all over again. And, well, they’re not totally wrong to worry. When one new player like DeepSeek can upend the game so fast, it’s easy to get jumpy. The market psychology here is just… bananas.

Nova Drake

But here’s the weird twist—despite all that financial drama, Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, is laser-focused on this idea of AI as, like, a personal tutor. And listen, I’m all for AI as a helper. The idea of personalized education? Sounds amazing, right? But then I kinda wonder… who’s actually gonna have access to this? Are we just setting up another situation where only people with deep pockets get the real benefits while others, you know, fall further behind?

Nova Drake

So let’s start with the UK stepping into the spotlight on AI ethics. They’ve announced this groundbreaking move to criminalize AI-generated child abuse imagery. Honestly, it’s really setting the pace for how governments might handle AI misuse going forward. I mean, we’ve already seen how fast tech can get outta hand, and the UK’s like, “Yeah, no, we’re not waiting for the world to figure this out.” It’s bold, and it’s definitely needed.

Nova Drake

Now, shifting gears a bit, we’ve got the World Economic Forum waving the red flag on AI and cybercrime. And you know what’s wild? Despite all these risks staring us right in the face—misinformation, hacking, all that—most companies are kinda just… ignoring it? Like, “Oh sure, no big deal!” It’s shocking, honestly. You’d think after seeing chatbots hacked left and right or disinfo campaigns ramping up, there’d be more urgency. But nope, just crickets in most boardrooms.

Nova Drake

And while companies are snoozing, the big players over in Silicon Valley and beyond are throwing down stacks of cash—like, all the stacks. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta—they’re planning to pool over $300 billion into AI infrastructure this year alone. Yeah, you heard that right. Amazon’s front running with $100 billion. It’s like they’re building fortresses of computing power. And honestly? It’s exciting and also just a little intimidating when you think about how much sway these companies already have.

Nova Drake

And if you thought that was big, SoftBank comes in swinging with $40 billion for OpenAI. That kinda makes them the MVP for OpenAI, investment-wise, topping Microsoft’s contributions. But here’s what I’m wondering—does this mean we’re inching closer to an AI monopoly? Like, just these few giants controlling all of the advancement? I mean, who’s really gonna challenge that? It’s giving serious tech-oligarchy vibes.

Nova Drake

So yeah, there’s a ton happening—regulations tightening, risks rising, money flying—and it’s all shaping this wild, unpredictable AI landscape we’re living in. And that’s all for this episode of Exploring Uncertainty. As always, thanks for tuning in and, hey, stay curious out there. The future’s coming fast, and, like I always say, the future isn’t coming—it’s already here. We’ll see you next time.