China’s advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have garnered attention, particularly as American companies increasingly incorporate Chinese models into their operations. Pinterest, a leading social media platform, has begun utilizing Chinese AI innovations, such as the recently launched DeepSeek R-1, to enhance its recommendation engine. This shift highlights a growing trend among U.S. firms to leverage Chinese technology for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
At a recent interview, Pinterest’s Chief Executive Officer, Bill Ready, noted the platform’s transformation into “an AI-powered shopping assistant.” Since the introduction of the DeepSeek model in January 2025, Pinterest has integrated various Chinese AI technologies, a move Ready describes as a significant breakthrough. He emphasized the importance of open-source models, stating, “They chose to open source it, and that sparked a wave of open source models.”
Competing Chinese AI models from companies such as Alibaba and Moonshot are also making waves. Notably, Alibaba’s Qwen has gained traction, while TikTok owner ByteDance is developing similar technologies. Pinterest’s Chief Technology Officer, Matt Madrigal, remarked that the flexibility of these models allows companies to download and customize them, unlike many proprietary models from U.S. rivals like OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT. According to Madrigal, “Open source techniques that we use to train our own in-house models are 30% more accurate than the leading off-the-shelf models.”
This trend extends beyond Pinterest. Many Fortune 500 companies, including Airbnb, are turning to Chinese AI solutions due to their effectiveness and affordability. Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, expressed reliance on Alibaba’s Qwen, citing it as “very good,” “fast,” and “cheap.”
The Hugging Face platform, a popular resource for AI models, showcases the prominence of Chinese technology. Jeff Boudier, a product developer at Hugging Face, noted that many of the most downloaded models on the platform are from Chinese labs. In September, Qwen even surpassed Meta’s Llama to become the most downloaded large language model on Hugging Face, reflecting a growing preference for Chinese-developed models.
Despite substantial investments from U.S. tech firms, the competition is intensifying. A recent report from Stanford University indicated that Chinese AI models have “caught up or even pulled ahead” of their global counterparts in both capability and user adoption. This development raises questions about the future landscape of AI technology.
In a discussion with the BBC, former UK Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg suggested that U.S. firms have become overly focused on developing AI that could surpass human intelligence, potentially allowing China to dominate the open-source AI sector. “Here’s the irony,” Sir Nick stated, noting that in the competition between the world’s largest autocracy and democracy, China is “doing more to democratise the technology they’re competing over.”
The Stanford report also pointed to government support as a factor in China’s success with open-source models. In contrast, U.S. companies like OpenAI face pressure to become profitable, prompting a shift towards advertisements and proprietary models. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, confirmed the company’s aggressive investment in securing computing power and infrastructure, stating, “Revenue will grow super fast, but you should expect us to invest a ton in training, in the next model and the next and the next.”
As 2025 approaches, the narrative surrounding AI development is shifting. With the rise of open-source models, particularly from China, the dynamics of the global AI race are evolving, potentially reshaping the future of technology and its accessibility.
