Between the giants of AI and the nations they represent, the battle rages. The United States, Europe, and China are engaged in a digital cold war where every line of code becomes a flag. At the center of the ring: DeepSeek, this Chinese AI that has reshuffled the cards of global technological power. Because behind the technical feat lies a political project: to make China no longer a follower, but a founding power of twenty-first-century artificial intelligence.
In Brief
- •Chinese tech stocks leap, boosted by innovation and investor enthusiasm.
- •The global AI divide grows between the wealthy North and connected South.
- •Beijing strengthens its digital sovereignty by combining public power and coordinated private research.
When the Stock Market Electrifies: China Propelled by AI
At the turn of 2026, the Chinese economy finds an unexpected breath. In January, Beijing’s tech stocks blaze, fueled by the rise of artificial intelligence and robotics. An index equivalent to the Nasdaq gains nearly 13%, proof that confidence is reborn. This resurgence is no coincidence: it follows the global success of DeepSeek, the open-source AI model that defied Silicon Valley.
Investors see in this awakening a geopolitical revenge. Mark Mobius, manager of the Mobius Emerging Opportunities Fund, declared:
The stock market indicates that what China is doing in the technology sector will be very exciting in the future. We must remember that China’s goal now is to surpass the US in technology, high-level chips, and various types of AI. So investments are flowing in that direction.
This stock market thrill reflects more than just a bubble: it expresses the ambition of a country ready to build its technological sovereignty.
DeepSeek, the Chinese Machine that Defies the World
Created in 2023, DeepSeek conquered the planet in record time. Its model DeepSeek-R1, launched on January 27, 2025, delivers performance comparable to ChatGPT… at a cost twenty times lower. The app became number 1 in 156 countries, accumulating 96.88 million monthly users and more than 22 million daily users. In China, India, or Indonesia, the tool has become a daily reflex.
But DeepSeek is not just a technical success: it is a national symbol. At its head, Liang Wenfeng, an engineer from Guangdong, has become a discreet hero. His High-Flyer fund recorded +56% returns in 2025. His goal? To democratize an accessible “made in China” AI, based on open and low-cost models.
The impact goes beyond research offices. Chinese robots run marathons, box, dance at popular festivals, and the industry now manufactures flying taxis. Behind these achievements lies a promise: that of artificial intelligence integrated into the real economy, capable of transforming every factory, every school, every city.
Two-Speed AI: The Divide that DeepSeek Does Not Bridge
The Microsoft AI Diffusion Report 2026 reveals a troubling reality: the AI revolution does not benefit everyone. One adult in six now uses an AI tool, but the gap between North and South is widening: 10.6 percentage points difference in adoption rates. The United Arab Emirates and Singapore lead (over 60% users), while Africa lags behind.
However, China advances according to its own rules. Its planned approach, based on massive data collection and public-private coordination, gives it a strategic advantage. DeepSeek benefits from this model to establish itself where Western platforms are absent: Russia, Iran, Africa. In these areas, its use is 2 to 4 times higher than ChatGPT (Capacity Global).
This dominance raises questions: does Chinese AI really expand knowledge or does it redraw the balance of power? Because artificial intelligence, far from leveling the world, also deepens new furrows between innovation and dependency.
Key Figures of the DeepSeek Empire and Chinese AI
- •+13%: increase in Chinese tech stocks in January 2026;
- •96.88 million: DeepSeek monthly users worldwide;
- •#1: app downloaded in 156 countries;
- •56%: annual return of Liang Wenfeng’s High-Flyer fund;
- •2 to 4x: higher use of DeepSeek compared to ChatGPT in Africa.
The other often forgotten parameter is the ability of these artificial intelligences to influence human societies. Some studies show that AI can already manipulate voters and sway political opinions. The frantic race for innovation therefore has not only virtues: it also redefines the fragile boundary between progress and control.