In a bold move that’s shaking up the global AI landscape, Baidu founder Robin Li has openly criticized the ongoing rivalry between DeepSeek AI and other text-based large language models (LLMs), sparking fresh debates about the future of artificial intelligence. And guess what? India’s burgeoning tech ecosystem should be paying close attention.
Li, whose company Baidu is a powerhouse in China’s AI race, dismissed the hype around DeepSeek’s text-based model competition as “overblown” and “misguided.” According to him, the obsession with purely text-driven AI overlooks the bigger picture – multimodal AI systems that integrate images, video, and voice, which Baidu is aggressively developing. This critique isn’t just a jab at DeepSeek but a wake-up call to the global AI community, including India’s startups, to rethink their approach to innovation.
Why does this matter to India? The country is rapidly emerging as a global tech hub, with AI startups sprouting everywhere. But many are still heavily focused on text-based solutions, chasing the same narrow path that Li warns against. India’s tech leaders must diversify their AI strategies, embracing multimodal AI to leapfrog competitors and avoid getting stuck in a crowded, less impactful niche.Li’s comments also highlight a broader geopolitical tech tussle. While China’s Baidu pushes ahead with cutting-edge AI research, India’s AI sector is often seen as playing catch-up. But with the right focus and investment, India can turn this criticism into an opportunity – by pioneering AI models that blend text, visuals, and audio, creating truly next-gen applications that the world craves. In short, Baidu’s founder just threw down the gauntlet.