On January 13, the Financial Times published a report stating that Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, issued a warning. He pointed out that in the fierce competition for users in regions outside the West, American AI companies are being left behind by their Chinese counterparts. China has managed to gain a competitive edge by integrating low - cost "open" models with government subsidies. Take DeepSeek's R1 large language model as an example. Its user - friendly nature and low cost have significantly accelerated the global adoption of AI, especially in countries within the Global South.

Microsoft's research reveals that DeepSeek has secured a substantial market share in countries such as Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. This advantage is even more pronounced in nations where access to U.S. technology is restricted. Smith urged the West to place a higher priority on making AI technology more accessible. He cautioned that if the West fails to take action in this regard, the economic divide between the North and the South could further widen.