Behind China's rising AI startup DeepSeek: Who is Liang Wenfeng?

Editor's note: In the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), Liang Wenfeng and his creation, DeepSeek, are emerging as a "mysterious force from the East." CGTN is producing a series on AI to delve into the power of innovation and its global impact. In this article, we take you behind the scenes to explore the man behind DeepSeek, his ideology, and his journey.

An artificial intelligence lab based in Hangzho, east China's Zhejiang Province has set Silicon Valley abuzz with the release of its state-of-the-art model, trained at a fraction of the cost of mainstream models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. The breakthrough has drawn criticism from many AI experts online, who describe it as a "counterproductive" to the U.S.'s attempt to curb China's high-tech ambitions.

DeepSeek, founded by hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, unveiled its R1 model last Monday, accompanied by a detailed paper outlining how to train a large-scale reinforcement learning (RL) model without relying on supervised fine-tuning (SFT) as a preliminary step.

Within days, DeepSeek's app soared to top on the iPhone free app charts in both China and the U.S., surpassing the once-dominant ChatGPT.

The release of DeepSeek's R1 model has ignited a heated debate in Silicon Valley about whether better-resourced U.S. AI companies, including Meta and OpenAI, can maintain their technological advantage.

Meanwhile, Liang has become a focal point of discussion in China. Last week, he was invited to a symposium in Beijing, where Chinese Premier Li Qiang sought opinions and suggestions from experts, entrepreneurs, and representatives across various sectors—including education, science, culture, health, and sports—on a draft government work report.

About Liang Wenfeng

Liang Wenfeng graduated from Zhejiang University with a degree in Artificial Intelligence. He co-founded the quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer in 2016, which quickly gained recognition for its innovative use of AI-driven trading strategies. By 2021, High-Flyer had fully integrated AI into its operations, using machine learning models to predict market trends and make data-driven investment decisions.

In May 2023, Liang took a bold step by founding DeepSeek, aiming at AI-focused research in advancing the field of general artificial intelligence (AGI). Unlike traditional for-profit ventures, DeepSeek was envisioned as a platform for long-term, fundamental research, where curiosity-driven exploration could drive meaningful advancements in AI.

Liang Wenfeng has remained low-profile, granting interviews only to Anyong, a sub-brand of China's commercial tech media 36Kr, in 2023 and 2024. Below are translated excerpts from these interviews, offering a glimpse into his philosophy and vision.

DeepSeek's 'long-termism'

For Liang, DeepSeek is more like a side project or hobby, driven by deep curiosity and a commitment to foundational research. He acknowledges that basic research often yields low immediate returns on investment, yet he is captivated by the challenge of exploring complex fields like finance and the potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Liang's focus is on understanding the essence of human intelligence and the processes that underlie it, believing that such exploration is crucial despite the lack of immediate commercial incentives.

Talent and team building

DeepSeek's LinkedIn profile shows that the company has a team of fewer than 10 people. One member was reportedly poached by Xiaomi's Lei Jun to work on AI development in December, 2024. Liang believes in discovering talent within China.

On Innovation

Innovation requires freedom and room for trial and error. He noted that innovation often emerges naturally, rather than being planned or taught.

On China's role in AI development

Liang believes that China cannot remain a follower in AI forever. In the interviews, he emphasizes the need for China to shift from imitation to originality and build its own technological ecosystem.