DeepSeek doubles workforce and targets AGI: global hiring despite US restrictions

The Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has launched an unprecedented hiring campaign aiming to double the size of every department as it accelerates towards artificial general intelligence (AGI). According to the South China Morning Post, the company, founded only three years ago, now boasts a valuation exceeding $50 billion after a $7.4 billion external funding round.

DeepSeek aims to double every department

The company's hiring philosophy is to let newcomers take on the most core and important tasks directly, without necessarily seeking geniuses. Open positions include server-side development engineers, pre-training data engineers, and supercomputing cluster R&D engineers. The growth in product management roles signals a shift toward customer-facing products and commercial opportunities, moving beyond pure research. This move comes as other firms like OpenAI have restricted access, as discussed in the article OpenAI restricts model access in Europe, a relevant parallel for the industry.

AGI as a declared goal

DeepSeek stated that humanity now stands on the eve of AGI. With a funding round where CEO Liang Wenfeng contributed roughly 40% of the $7.4 billion, the startup aims to compete with giants like OpenAI, valued at $852 billion in March. DeepSeek bets on cheaper, more accessible models to win global markets, despite US restrictions on Nvidia GPU exports. The company has partnered with Huawei to optimize models on its chips. Meanwhile, US firms are increasingly buying DeepSeek models due to cost-effectiveness compared to OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. This trend mirrors findings in the article AI Boosts Code Productivity but Bugs Rise 54%, where economic efficiency often clashes with quality.

Technological and geopolitical challenges

Despite the enthusiasm, DeepSeek operates in a complex environment. US restrictions limit access to advanced hardware, pushing the company to innovate on alternative chips. The hiring spree will initially focus on the Hangzhou headquarters and Beijing R&D center, but global interest could drive expansion beyond China. According to Wikipedia, the company is already a key AI player, and this move could reshape the industry landscape. By doubling its workforce, DeepSeek prepares to compete globally, offering a vision of AGI that is more accessible and less dependent on Western supply chains.

Source: https://www.techradar.com/pro/humanity-now-stands-on-the-eve-of-agi-deepseek-wants-to-at-least-double-the-size-of-every-department-as-company-pursues-hiring-spree-in-pursuit-of-agi