Mixed reactions to Starlink's expansion in the Pacific

A new startup called DeepSeek has made waves in Silicon Valley and China for its low AI costs. The company's technology is now used in various sectors, including government, healthcare, and household appliances. Recently, there has been a surge in attempts to trademark the DeepSeek name, leading to the rejection of numerous malicious applications. Tencent Chairman Pony Ma praised DeepSeek during a recent earnings call, highlighting its contributions to AI development in China. However, there are concerns that the Chinese government is exerting control over DeepSeek by restricting employee travel and seizing passports. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's satellite internet service, Starlink, is expanding in the Pacific. Governments are divided, as the service promises faster internet for remote areas but raises concerns about data security and regulatory issues. Traditional internet service providers are feeling the pressure to adapt to this new competition. In a shift for Alibaba, Jack Ma has repositioned the company to focus on AI development. After a challenging period, Alibaba is investing heavily in AI, which is seen as the future of growth. The company’s AI models are gaining recognition, and Apple has chosen Alibaba to support AI on its iPhones in China. Despite the buzz around Chinese AI, venture capital investments in the country are declining. In the first quarter of 2025, only 100 AI deals were reported, significantly lower than the previous year. An investment ban from the U.S. has contributed to this cautious approach from investors. Baidu is facing a public relations crisis after a vice-president's daughter was involved in a doxxing incident. This sparked fears of privacy violations and led to calls to boycott Baidu's services. The company distanced itself from the incident, claiming the personal data accessed was from illegal sources outside the company.