China set to launch 100 AI chatbots like DeepSeek in just 18 months

DeepSeek

China is getting ready to take a giant leap in artificial intelligence. In the next 18 months, over 100 powerful AI chatbots similar to DeepSeek are expected to be launched. That’s what Zhu Min, a former top Chinese official, said during a big global event in Tianjin this week, as per Bloomberg.

Zhu, who once worked with both China’s central bank and the International Monetary Fund, believes these AI tools could change the way China’s economy works. According to him, China has all the right ingredients: smart engineers, a huge population that loves tech, and strong support from the government.

Now, if you're wondering why DeepSeek matters it made headlines earlier this year for being really powerful but also affordable. It even surprised the global tech industry. Since then, Chinese tech stocks have gone up, and there’s a sense of excitement about how competitive China could become in AI.

But the road isn’t without bumps. The US has put restrictions on China like blocking the sale of advanced AI chips from companies like Nvidia. This is all part of the ongoing tech rivalry between the two countries. In response, China is now depending more on its own companies, like Huawei, to build the tech it needs.

Even with these challenges, China’s tech industry is growing fast. A Bloomberg report says that high-tech now makes up about 15% of China’s economy and that number could hit 18% in just two years.

Of course, there are still some economic concerns. Experts at the forum said China needs to get people to spend more and rely less on exports. But there’s no doubt AI is going to be a big part of the country’s future.

So, if Zhu’s prediction is right, we’re about to see a flood of smart chatbots coming out of China very soon.