China’s DeepSeek AI chatbot has garnered a controversial reputation, having revealed chat histories and sensitive data. The iOS app is known for its significant security vulnerabilities and is currently under scrutiny in both the U.S. and Europe. Moreover, ARM’s CEO has speculated that it could face a ban in the U.S.
Despite these concerns, Apple CEO Tim Cook has praised it as “excellent” during his recent trip to Beijing for the China Development Forum.
DeepSeek AI from China
DeepSeek is a Chinese-developed AI chatbot that swiftly rose to the top of the App Store rankings.
Reported benchmarks suggest its performance rivals that of the leading global models. Experts who reviewed these claims expressed surprise at China’s achievement, noting it was accomplished at a significantly lower cost than U.S. counterparts and could run effectively on modest hardware; though later, some analysts indicated that the initial cost comparisons may have been overstated.
Widespread privacy concerns prompted investigations in both the U.S. and Europe.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, U.S. officials are examining the national security risks associated with DeepSeek, while Italy’s data protection authority is seeking clarification on the use of personal data by the app.
These privacy issues led to the aforementioned investigations.
Tim Cook’s Visit to China
Tim Cook is in China to attend the China Development Forum and has been updating his followers on Weibo about his experiences.
“Hello, Beijing! I couldn’t ask for a better start to my visit than a lovely walk with Yang Tianzhen. Thanks to AlexJ for capturing this view on your iPhone!”
“Henry Lau may be a solo artist, but with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, he turns each performance into a spectacular concert. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent with us!”
“It’s incredible to see how iPad and Mac are enabling rural teachers to provide engaging lessons for their students. We are excited to broaden our work with CDRF, as we understand that education can open doors for rural communities in China.”
“Physics class has evolved significantly! I am thrilled to see educators expanding the boundaries of learning with Apple Vision Pro!”
“We are enthusiastic to unveil a new clean energy initiative in China! Two-thirds of our supply chain here is already utilizing renewable energy, and this will further our aim of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030.”
“Thank you to Chun Xiao for illustrating how you have captured the timeless art of Kun Opera through the innovative lens of the iPhone 16 Pro!”
Cook Describes DeepSeek as ‘Excellent’
The South China Morning Post reported that Cook referred to DeepSeek as “excellent” during comments made to state-run media.
Cook endorsed the AI offerings from Chinese start-up DeepSeek prior to a developer conference in Shanghai, as Apple is awaiting final approval to launch Apple Intelligence on iPhones in mainland China.
During discussions at the China Development Forum in Beijing, which is designed to attract global investors, he stated to the China News Service that the AI models from DeepSeek were “excellent.” However, he provided no further details.
DMN’s Perspective
Given Apple’s significant reliance on China for both manufacturing and sales, Cook often finds himself needing to make diplomatic comments regarding the country, even when its policies may conflict with Apple’s principles.
One major concession Apple had to make was to collaborate with a local entity for the rollout of Apple Intelligence in China, which entails navigating political censorship. The government has made it clear that this collaboration is non-negotiable.
It’s probable that Cook’s comments on DeepSeek were prompted, leading him to deliver a concise diplomatic response.
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Image: DMN collage of images from AlexJ/Apple and Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
