E116: DeepSeek, Tech Hype & the Future of Work - w/ Erik J. Larson

Computer Scientist, Erik J. Larson returns to discuss the global shakeup in AI sparked by DeepSeek and Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 Max. We unpack how these models challenge Silicon Valley’s dominance, what makes them technically significant, and the broader implications for geopolitics, open-source innovation, and the future of AGI. Also discussed: NVIDIA’s record valuation drop, open-source trends, and whether the U.S. is losing its lead in artificial intelligence.

Topics Covered:

• DeepSeek’s emergence and performance edge
• Qwen 2.5 Max vs. ChatGPT📺
• Why Silicon Valley may be falling behind
• Geopolitical stakes in the AI race
• Open-source vs. proprietary models
• Deep learning limits and the hype cycle

Watch full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/xiLZhUiEsyc

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
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