Chinese universities launch DeepSeek courses

This month, universities across China have started offering AI courses based on DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup. DeepSeek's breakthrough in AI has been compared to a historic milestone, drawing a lot of attention.

This decision is part of China's efforts to promote science and technology in schools and universities, helping to drive new economic growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

DeepSeek, a startup from Hangzhou, has received high praise from Silicon Valley executives and U.S. tech engineers. They say its AI models, DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1, are as advanced as the best models from OpenAI and Meta.

Shenzhen University in southern China’s Guangdong province announced this week that it is launching an AI course based on DeepSeek. The course will teach students about important AI technologies, as well as issues like security, privacy, and ethics.

The course will explore how to balance technological innovation with ethical standards.

Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University is using DeepSeek to improve AI learning tools for its courses, according to its official WeChat account. Renmin University of China has also integrated DeepSeek into various areas, enhancing teaching, research, and campus operations.

In January, China introduced its first national plan to strengthen its education system by 2035. The goal is to create a high-quality education system that is among the best in the world.

DeepSeek’s founder, Liang Wenfeng, attended a rare meeting on Monday with President Xi Jinping and top Chinese tech leaders, including executives from Alibaba.