Zuckerberg advocates for American open-source AI standards
Mark Zuckerberg of Meta discusses the impact of the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek on Meta's investments, advocating for open-source AI standards that align with American values during a recent earnings call.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, expressed uncertainty regarding the impact of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, on Meta's AI investments during the company's earnings call on Wednesday. DeepSeek has gained attention for developing powerful AI models at significantly lower costs than its US competitors.
In response to an analyst's inquiry, Zuckerberg noted that while DeepSeek has made substantial advances, Meta is still evaluating its implications. He stated, "They have advances that we will hope to implement in our systems," regardless of the source of the competition.
Zuckerberg suggested that the current situation will not alter Meta's investment strategy in AI. Reflecting on the situation, he mentioned, "It's probably too early to really have a strong opinion on what this means for the trajectory around infrastructure and capex and things like that."
Recently, US tech companies have faced scrutiny regarding the return on their significant AI investments. This scrutiny peaked when DeepSeek reported training its models for vastly lower costs, impacting tech stock prices.
During the call, Zuckerberg reiterated Meta's plan to invest between $60 billion to $65 billion in capital in 2025, defending this expenditure as essential for maintaining Meta's competitive edge. "If anything, some of the recent news has only strengthened our conviction that this is the right thing for us to be focused on," he remarked.
Zuckerberg also emphasized the importance of establishing an open-source AI standard that aligns with American values. He asserted, "There's going to be an open-source standard globally, and I think for our own national advantage, it's important that it's an American standard."
He highlighted a growing supportive relationship between Big Tech and the current US administration, which aims to bolster American technology on the global stage. "I am optimistic about the progress and innovation that this can unlock," he concluded.
Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist, previously commented that the success of DeepSeek illustrates the superiority of open-source models over proprietary ones, challenging the notion that China's AI is outpacing American technology.
