Endless Thread

In 2022, people around the world freaked out at the advent of ChatGPT, OpenAI's chatbot. In under three years, artificial intelligence has been incorporated almost everywhere in our online lives. But training the large language models, or LLMs, that power these AI assistants is hugely expensive. Or is it? Last month, a Chinese startup called DeepSeek released their own AI app for much less money, potentially with huge economic and geopolitical implications. Endless Thread hosts a rap battle to help you understand why these AI companies are beefing.

Show notes:

"Trying to get Deepseek to talk about 'Tank Man'" (Reddit)

"DeepSeek Doesn’t Want to Talk About Tiananmen Square. Here’s What to Know" (Bloomberg)

"DeepSeek is giving the world a window into Chinese censorship and information control" (CNN)

Credits:

Episode producer: Ben Brock Johnson

Co-hosts: Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson

Show producers: Samata Joshi, Dean Russell, Grace Tatter, and Katelyn Harrop.

Mixer and sound designer: Paul Vaitkus