大厂入场斗法，“AI六小龙”变“四小强”

Core Insights - 2025 is a pivotal year for the global economy and China's industries, marked by deep differentiation and value reconstruction, moving beyond mere trends to focus on substantial changes in sectors like AI, storage chips, and new energy vehicles [1] - The narrative of AI in China has shifted, with the emergence of DeepSeek capturing significant attention and altering the competitive landscape for the previously prominent "AI Six Dragons" [2][3] AI Industry Dynamics - The "AI Six Dragons" have seen their prominence wane as new players like DeepSeek gain traction, leading to a shift in focus from foundational models to application-oriented strategies [2][3] - Investment sentiment has changed, with investors now prioritizing application companies over foundational model developers, reflecting a more pragmatic approach to survival in the AI sector [3][4] - The cost of developing foundational models is high, with significant investments required for GPU resources and training, making it a challenging landscape for startups [4][5] Competitive Landscape - The rise of DeepSeek has prompted many AI startups to abandon foundational model development in favor of application-focused strategies, leading to a significant industry convergence [8][10] - The competition among foundational models is intensifying, with parameters reaching trillion-level scales and increasing training costs, raising the barriers to entry [11] - Companies like Zhiyuan and MiniMax are expected to go public soon, marking a new phase for the "AI Dragons" as they seek to establish themselves in the market [12][13] Market Positioning - The "AI Four Strong" have emerged as the new designation for companies that continue to focus on foundational model development while emphasizing practical applications [13][14] - The competitive landscape is dominated by major players like ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, which have established significant user bases and market penetration, creating formidable barriers for smaller companies [16][17] - The shift towards application-oriented services is evident, with only a few leading players remaining committed to foundational models, indicating a strategic pivot in the industry [18]