Russian state TV has claimed that the Chinese app “DeepSeek” is based on a secret Soviet Union code. Reuters reports that Russian media is using nostalgia for Soviet technological achievements to spread this false story.
The fake news first appeared on the Russian satirical site “Panorama.” The site openly admits to creating fabricated content. In this case, it published a fake interview with the founder of DeepSeek. The interview praised Soviet programmers and claimed DeepSeek’s AI code was created in 1985 by scientist Viktor Glushkov.
Glushkov led a team that developed early data processing networks. These networks were designed to help manage the Soviet planned economy. Some Russian scientists believe these networks had early AI features.
The fake story spread quickly online. It was later reported as real news by the national TV channel “Russia 1.” Influential figures on social media also shared the false information, reaching a large audience.
Meanwhile, DeepSeek has been at the center of multiple global discussions. Some countries have taken regulatory actions against it, with Netherlands and South Korea banning DeepSeek for government employees due to security concerns. Similarly, Australia has faced controversy over its policies, as China condemned Australia’s DeepSeek ban as ‘discrimination’.
DeepSeek’s rise has also sparked comparisons with major AI-driven platforms. Many experts are debating whether DeepSeek can compete with Google’s AI-powered search engines. While DeepSeek’s AI-driven approach is innovative, it is still evolving in terms of accuracy and information retrieval.
Despite these global discussions, Russia remains a minor player in AI development. According to the Global Artificial Intelligence Index by Tortoise Media, Russia ranks 31st out of 83 countries, lagging behind the U.S., China, and other BRICS nations like India and Brazil. Meanwhile, DeepSeek continues to expand its influence, with some analysts arguing that DeepSeek is revolutionizing search with AI, pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence in ways that challenge existing industry leaders.
