AI for Emerging Markets: DeepSeek Leading the Revolution
DeepSeek’s formula of low cost and low computing power is unstoppable
Emerging markets have mostly been left out of the AI revolution, but DeepSeek represents an open-source revolution that may close the AI divide between the rich and the poor.
Before you dismiss emerging nations, remember that according to statistics from World Economics, they now account for 50.4% of global GDP and 65.9% of global GDP growth over the past 10 years.
Writing off half of the world’s GDP to the benefits of AI is counterproductive and callous in the extreme. Remember also that many emerging economies are now technologically leapfrogging the West. Take India’s UPI payments as an example.
And they were written off. Silicon Valley’s high price tags and licensing models made AI out of reach for 72% of emerging market respondents in this “Economist Impact” survey.
This shows just how revolutionary DeepSeek’s open-source model is in improving AI access to emerging markets.
Access isn’t Implementation
Emerging markets will still have a hard trek to AI implementation.
Interestingly, IT basics are not a problem, with 70% of respondents reporting that access to a consistent and stable internet connection is required for AI use.
The problem is that high-quality training data was seen as a problem by 81% of respondents, and high-capacity computational systems to feed and power AI systems by 84%.
While DeepSeek’s low CPU demand may mitigate computational issues, the next challenge is training AIs with limited local data.
Made in China
DeepSeek is undoubtedly “Made in China,” which will only make the balancing act among emerging nations seeking to walk a tightrope between China and the US technology stacks more difficult.
This is nowhere more true than in China’s backyard, Asia. Even here, however, there is early evidence that access to AI access is trumping (no pun intended) politics.
China-skeptic India recently announced it would host DeepSeek on its government computing facility, turning heads in Beijing and Washington, DC.
DeepSeek’s Legacy: Who’s Next?
Next week or month, another new AI model will supplant DeepSeek as the new leader in low-cost AI. Where it comes from is irrelevant if it improves the availability of AI, which is good for everyone except Silicon Valley and investors.
DeepSeek’s greatest legacy will be in showing the rest of the world that they won’t be left out of the AI revolution and can build models themselves, even with limited access to chips and data.
Indonesia’s recent announcement that it will launch a “Made in Indonesia” version of DeepSeek in the coming weeks shows how captivating the quest for local AI will be.
DeepSeek’s unstoppable formula of low cost and low computing power will democratize access to AI in the emerging markets that need it most.
This is fundamentally good, and let’s see what this revolution looks like in five years.
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