Why are Huawei, Tencent, and Baidu All-in?

AI’s Biggest Rivalries Are Shifting

Hello AI Innovators.

The AI Game Just Changed Huawei, Tencent, and Baidu are all betting big on DeepSeek.

OpenAI is tweaking ChatGPT to be less “censored.” Perplexity just dropped a deep research tool to take on Google. And AI agents? They’re getting so good, they feel borderline illegal.

Big shifts are happening, and the race isn’t slowing down. Let’s break it down. 🚀

In today’s newsletter ⬇️ :

  • 🚨 OpenAI's ChatGPT Gets an ‘Uncensored’ Update

  • 🔍 Perplexity Drops a Freemium Deep Research Tool

  • 🌏 Alibaba Cloud Doubles Down in Thailand

  • 📉 Asian Markets React to U.S.-EU Trade Tensions

  • 🤖 6 AI Agents So Powerful, They Feel Illegal

  • 🔥 Huawei, Tencent & Baidu Bet Big on DeepSeek—Game Changer?

The News: East Meets West

News from The WEST 👈:

  • 🛠️ OpenAI Tries to ‘Uncensor’ ChatGPT

    OpenAI is reportedly working to make ChatGPT less restrictive, adjusting how it handles politically sensitive topics and controversial discussions. The move follows user complaints about the AI being overly cautious, often refusing to answer legitimate queries. OpenAI is refining its moderation system to balance free expression with responsible AI behavior.

    💡 Why It Matters: This could be a major shift in AI safety policies. While a more open ChatGPT might improve user experience, it also raises concerns about misinformation and bias. How will OpenAI walk the fine line between uncensored responses and responsible AI?

    👉 Read More

  • 🍏 Apple Intelligence Could Arrive on Vision Pro in April

    Apple is expected to roll out AI-powered features for its Vision Pro headset as early as April. Dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” these updates could include enhanced real-world object recognition, smarter voice commands, and dynamic AR interactions. The goal? To turn Vision Pro into the ultimate mixed-reality assistant.

    💡 Why It Matters: Apple is positioning itself to dominate AI-driven augmented reality. If Vision Pro’s AI enhancements deliver, we might be looking at a new era of smart AR wearables that could rival even the best AI-integrated devices.

    👉 Read More

  • 🔍 Perplexity Launches Its Own Freemium ‘Deep Research’ Product

    AI-powered search engine Perplexity is stepping up its game with a freemium deep research tool, giving users access to more in-depth, source-backed responses. The free tier provides AI-generated summaries with citations, while the premium version unlocks advanced search capabilities and customisation.

    💡 Why It Matters: As Perplexity takes on Google and OpenAI in AI search, the battle for AI-powered knowledge is heating up. If this model succeeds, AI search engines could finally start to replace traditional Google searches for research-heavy topics.

    👉 Read More

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News from The EAST 👉:

  • 🌏 Alibaba Cloud Expands Thai Presence with New Data Center

    Alibaba Cloud is ramping up its expansion in Southeast Asia, launching a new data center in Thailand to boost AI, fintech, and enterprise cloud services. This move strengthens its foothold in the region, offering local businesses faster cloud computing and AI-driven solutions.

    💡 Why It Matters: Think of this as Alibaba planting a new digital power plant in Thailand, supplying businesses with the computing energy they need to scale. With Thailand emerging as a key tech hub, Alibaba Cloud is strategically positioning itself to dominate the AI and cloud market in the region.

    👉 Read More

  • 📉 Asian Markets on Edge Amid U.S.-EU Trade Tensions

    Asian shares remained cautious and volatile as rising tensions between the U.S. and EU spooked global markets. Investors are closely watching trade negotiations, currency fluctuations, and inflation concerns, as any escalation could impact Asian exports and supply chains.

    💡 Why It Matters: Global trade tensions are a wild card for Asia’s economy. With the U.S. and EU at odds over trade policies, could this be an opportunity for Asian markets to strengthen regional alliances and trade networks?

    👉 Read More

  • 🔓 DeepSeek Exposes Japan’s Data Privacy Loophole

    DeepSeek’s AI capabilities have reportedly uncovered gaps in Japan’s personal data protection laws, raising concerns about AI-driven data scraping and privacy violations. The findings have prompted Japanese regulators to re-evaluate their AI governance policies and strengthen safeguards.

    💡 Why It Matters: AI is pushing data privacy laws to their limits. With Japan now facing regulatory pressure, how will this impact AI companies operating in the country? And more importantly—are other nations next?

    👉 Read More

6 AI Agents That Are So Good, They Feel Illegal

AI assistants are getting way too smart. We’re talking about AI that doesn’t just generate content but thinks, plans, and executes tasks on autopilot.

💡 Key Intel:
From Lutra AI's research automation to Mindy prepping you for meetings like a personal chief-of-staff, these AI agents aren’t just tools—they’re game-changers for productivity. Some of them even feel like cheating.

Why It Matters:
AI agents are shifting from "helpful assistants" to independent problem-solvers. If you're not using them yet, you’re leaving hours of free time and massive efficiency gains on the table.

AI Agents—Too Smart or Just Right?

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Huawei, Tencent, Baidu Just Went All-In on DeepSeek—Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal

Here’s Leo’s take 👇🏼

If OpenAI had three of the biggest U.S. tech giants—Apple, Google, and Microsoft—publicly backing it at the same time, we’d call it a monopoly.

Well, in China, that just happened—with DeepSeek.

In the last few weeks, Tencent, Baidu, and Huawei have all thrown their weight behind DeepSeek, integrating it across their platforms, launching custom hardware, and making sure it reaches billions of users.

First, the facts: Tencent is integrating DeepSeek across its product ecosystem, Baidu is plugging it into search, and Huawei has already built its hardware appliance around it. That’s two out of three of China’s BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) tech giants making major moves—plus Huawei on the side. This isn’t just adoption. This is a full-scale shift.

So, why DeepSeek? It’s not just about the model’s performance—it’s about how they’re playing the game.

💡 Open-source isn’t just a strategy—it’s a power move. DeepSeek isn’t just giving away an AI model; they’re giving away the blueprint. They’ve made reasoning models open-source (something OpenAI hasn’t done), and they’re not just collecting users—they’re rallying an entire developer ecosystem.

💡 Speed matters. In the last two months, DeepSeek went from being an "interesting alternative" to being embedded in China's biggest platforms. That kind of speed isn’t just about tech—it’s about distribution. And with billions of users at their fingertips, they have the fastest iteration cycle in the AI race.

💡 What happens when there’s nothing left to copy? Sam Altman once said, "It’s easy to copy something once you know it works." But what happens when the company you dismissed as a "copycat" starts outpacing you? DeepSeek isn’t just catching up—it’s positioning itself as the primary challenger to OpenAI.

This isn’t a debate about who has the best AI model. It’s about who wins the adoption war—and right now, DeepSeek is pulling off something we’ve never seen before.

Does this mean OpenAI is losing ground? Not yet. But DeepSeek’s rise isn’t just a headline—it’s a shift in AI power dynamics. And this story is far from over.

What do you think—is DeepSeek just the next AI hype cycle, or is it rewriting the playbook?

DeepSeek’s Rise—Real or Just Hype?

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Until next time!
Leo & Lex

 

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