What Actually Mattered This Week: Chinese AI Startup Rocks the Tech World

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WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERED THIS WEEK

The Day DeepSeek Turned Tech and Wall Street Upside Down

Markets freaked out this week after Chinese AI startup DeepSeek released its latest large-language model…which the company says performs on par with American heavyweights while using significantly less computing power.

The release led investors to believe that future tech might not be as reliant on expensive high-end chips with large processing power—from companies like Nvidia—as once thought. The ensuing bloodbath wiped out around $1 trillion of stock market value.

A question that still needs answering (even though OpenAI has a history of using large amounts of data without permission): did DeepSeek train their model improperly on OpenAI’s?

Canada’s Freeland Calls for Summit of Nations Targeted by Trump

But…there won’t be enough seats at the table.

Eight Israeli and Thai hostages released from Gaza

The ongoing ceasefire agreement so far led to the release of 15 hostages since coming into effect on January 19.

82 hostages are still being held…and the situation remains tense.

In a sign of the agreement’s instability, Netanyahu briefly paused the release of Palestinian prisoners until new assurances on hostage safety were agreed upon.

Asteroid triggers global defense plan amid chance of collision with Earth in 2032

Ever the optimist, I think we'll make it.

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TRUTHS, DAMNED TRUTHS, AND STATISTICS

This week marked 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau in 1945. A look at the geographic origin of the camp’s victims:

- The Economist

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THE GZERO WORLD WE’RE JUST LIVING IN

THE GRAPHIC TRUTH

MY QUICK TAKE

Donald Trump’s tough stance on Colombia over migration sparked quick retaliation and an even faster concession. In my latest Quick Take, I examine how countries are responding to Trump's assertive foreign policies.

WORLD IN 60

What’s the latest on DeepSeek's impact on the AI industry??

Trump has issued a 90-day pause on nearly all US foreign aid. What's the likelihood it'll be extended beyond that?

What do I make of the Rwandan-backed rebels' advancements in Congo?

Find out in this week’s World in 60 Seconds!

DIG DEEPER: GZERO DAILY BY IAN BREMMER

Sudan’s civil war is getting worse. Trump could help end it.

While much of the world is focusing on wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the most devastating conflict of our time has been unfolding in Sudan.

In my latest column, I explain why Donald Trump may turn out to be Sudan's best hope for peace.

Do you like what you’ve seen??Sign up for GZERO Daily by Ian Bremmer

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BECAUSE THE INTERNET

Checking in on DeepSeek:

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WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK

The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry by Tevi Troy

What better time than now to explore the relationship between CEOs and American presidents? Tevi Troy's "The Power and the Money" offers a fascinating look into how these delicate relationships have shaped the country, for better or worse.

DEEP THOUGHTS

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” — John Steinbeck

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Thanks for reading!?Please subscribe to GZERO Daily for coverage of global politics. And make sure to read my latest book?The Power of Crisis?for a roadmap of this decade's great crises and how they might help us build a better world.

I am president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and foreign affairs columnist at TIME. I currently teach at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University. You can follow me on?X, Bluesky, Threads, TikTok,? Instagram, and Facebook.