(Bloomberg) — A year ago, the Chinese startup DeepSeek freaked out the stock market with the idea that developing artificial intelligence was much easier and cheaper than everyone imagined. But 12 months later, that’s turned out to be largely a mirage so far. DeepSeek erased a record $589 billion from Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)’s market value in one day after the company revealed an AI model thought to be comparable to those of OpenAI and Meta Platforms Inc. and developed at a fraction of the cost. Nvidia’s doub ...

Core Viewpoint - China's technological advancements are driving a stock rally, despite a fragile economy, with significant enthusiasm for homegrown technologies leading the market [1][3]. Group 1: Market Performance - Chinese tech shares have surged nearly 13% this month, with Hong Kong-listed tech firms climbing almost 6%, outperforming the Nasdaq 100 [2]. - A basket of 33 Chinese AI stocks has seen their combined market value increase by approximately $732 billion over the past year, with further upside expected as their market capitalization is only 6.5% of the US's [8]. Group 2: Technological Developments - Progress in various sectors, including commercial rockets, robotics, and flying cars, is contributing to the bullish sentiment in Chinese equities [2]. - The adoption of generative AI has surged among major Chinese internet companies, such as Alibaba and Tencent, following DeepSeek's AI breakthrough [6]. Group 3: Future Outlook - Anticipation of DeepSeek's new AI model release and China's upcoming five-year economic plan focusing on technological self-reliance may further bolster market confidence [3][14]. - Analysts predict that the next major AI breakthrough will occur at the application layer, with China well-positioned to lead due to its diverse user cases [10]. Group 4: Investment Sentiment - Some investors remain optimistic about the technology sector's prospects, citing advantages like a low-cost base and strong state support [12]. - The expected release of DeepSeek's R2 model may act as a catalyst for further disruption in the sector, reinforcing China's competitive stance against US AI dominance [13]. Group 5: Valuation Concerns - The recent stock rally has raised concerns about stretched valuations, with some companies trading at significantly higher multiples compared to the Nasdaq 100 [12].

Core Viewpoint - The Hang Seng Tech Index has shown a strong performance, with a year-to-date increase exceeding 6%, driven primarily by advancements in AI technology [1] Group 1: Market Performance - On January 6, the Hang Seng Tech Index surged over 2% during early trading, with leading stocks such as SenseTime and JD Health contributing to the gains [1] - The overall sentiment in the Hong Kong tech market is being significantly influenced by AI developments, as evidenced by the recent IPO of Biren Technology, known as the "first domestic GPU stock," which has reignited investor interest in the tech sector [1] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The debate surrounding the "AI bubble" has persisted through Q4 2025, with the Hang Seng Tech Index experiencing a prolonged period of volatility and adjustment, leading to a return of index valuations to historical lows [1] - However, with the iterative optimization of AI models and products by major internet companies, market confidence has begun to recover [1] Group 3: Investment Opportunities - The Hang Seng Tech Index ETF (513180) focuses on core Chinese AI assets, combining both hardware and software technologies, and includes major holdings such as Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi, Meituan, SMIC, and BYD [1] - This ETF ranks first in terms of scale among those tracking the Hang Seng Tech Index, indicating strong liquidity and investor interest [1]

About this content About Emily Jarvie Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, ...

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has relied on Nvidia chips that are banned in the country to develop an upcoming AI model, according to a new report in The Information https://t.co/bRBP8na4Jv ...

China’s DeepSeek unveiled two new versions of an experimental AI model it released weeks ago, adding fresh capabilities the startup said would help with combining reasoning and executing certain actions autonomously https://t.co/I1LvHWK1NX ...

Geopolitical Impact - US export controls are driving Chinese tech giants to relocate AI model training to Southeast Asia [1] Technology & Infrastructure - Companies like Alibaba and ByteDance are seeking access to Nvidia chips in Southeast Asia [1]

AI in Healthcare Applications - AI is being used to combat sepsis, the leading cause of hospital deaths in the US, impacting millions [1] - AI is used in spinal surgery to provide surgeons with a 3D view of the patient's spine in real-time, potentially shortening surgery times [5][6] - AI models are being developed to detect seizures by analyzing electrical brain waves [7][8][9] Impact and Benefits - AI can help identify sepsis faster than traditional methods, potentially saving lives [2][3] - AI-assisted spinal surgery can lead to less anesthetic, less time on the operating table, and less bleeding for patients [6] - AI can detect subtle patterns in brainwaves to identify seizures up to 40-50 seconds earlier [9] - The Cleveland Clinic's sepsis efforts have reduced deaths by hundreds per year [4] Adoption and Regulation - An AI tool for spinal surgery is FDA approved and used in over 100 surgeries, with more hospitals set to test it [6] - The healthcare industry is grappling with strict data privacy laws while implementing AI [10] - Experts caution against relying solely on AI for medical diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of human clinicians [10] - The industry emphasizes using AI to complement human intelligence, with human clinicians making the final decisions [10][11]

Group 1 - President Trump plans to address China's purchases of Russian oil during a meeting with President Xi Jinping at a summit in South Korea next week [1] - Trump aims to resolve issues regarding access to rare earth exports and secure commitments from China to resume soybean purchases from the US [2] - Reddit is suing Perplexity for allegedly scraping user posts to train its AI model, naming three defendants involved in data collection [2] Group 2 - Perplexity has denied the allegations from Reddit and accused the company of extortion [3] - Las Vegas Sands reported quarterly results that exceeded expectations, driven by strong demand in Singapore and Macau, leading to a rise in share prices [3] - Las Vegas Sands is increasing its annual dividend and stock repurchase program [3] Group 3 - Citigroup has appointed CEO Jane Frasier as board chair, combining the roles after nearly two decades, replacing John Dugen [4] - Frasier has been awarded a $25 million stock award as part of her new role [4]

Company Overview - Aquawise utilizes satellite imagery and AI for aquaculture farm water quality monitoring and prediction [1]