Researchers say that DeepSeek training costs were 1,3 billion, not 6 million.

When we talk about China and its authoritarian commanding system. We must realize. That the costs that authoritarian governments and companies that cooperate with them are what the government wants. In China, there is no business without government. The real costs of AI training might form in different ways in China than in Europe. Those ways might be different than we follow in Western countries. 

If governmental offices like intelligence and the People's Liberation Army participate in the AI projects. Those offices are not telling their salaries and costs. There is also suspicion that the Chinese military intelligence offered data, that it gets from hackers to that company. The DeepSeek follows the honorable road of hypersonic missiles and stealth fighters. That algorithm came from nowhere. 

Maybe some part of the code is developed using methods that will not accepted in Europe or other Western countries. The Chinese government uses hackers to steal data that it thinks to benefit it. And there is no way to resist the Chinese government, if and when it wants to participate in some AI project. 

And it's possible. Only the people. Those who are hired by a company. That markets the software take salaries from that work. The entire company can be coulisse. And the project itself is controlled by the People's Liberation Army, PLA. Or, would you download software that the developer is marked as  PLA or "National Police of China"? 

The company's purpose is to make the software or application more attractive. The other thing is this. It's possible. The Chinese government didn't even ask the DeepSeek needed its support. If DeepSeek says "no" that means the end of the business. 

As I wrote before, it's possible. The Chinese government's hackers gave information about DeepSeek. The hacking that happens under the Chinese government's control is suspected of being behind China's fast technological advance. And AI development is at a high level on government's priority. Chinese authorities are interested in the AI's military, intelligence, and surveillance applications. 

That means there is one way in China that developers must follow. That is if the government suggests something the only way to answer is "yes". Other answers cause problems in business. Or, the person who gives that wrong answer will transform to mine worker. 

https://interestingengineering.com/culture/deepseeks-ai-training-cost-billion

Images. InterestingEngineering.