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A senior researcher at DeepSeek has warned that continued AI development could cause layoffs in 5 to 10 years.
As AI systems continue to improve and replace human labor in both skilled and unskilled fields, questions about job security, inequality, and regulation have become more important.
Growing concern about AI development
A senior researcher at DeepSeek has expressed concerns about the long-term social impact of artificial intelligence. Speaking at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, DeepSeek researcher Chen Deli said that while he is optimistic about AI’s technological capabilities, he remains pessimistic about its effects on humanity.
Chen appeared alongside executives from Unitree, BrainCo, and five other major Chinese AI companies. This group of companies is known in China as the “six little dragons” of AI. The panel discussion focused on the future of artificial intelligence, innovation, and ethical responsibility in the industry.
When asked about DeepSeek’s global rise and its open-source approach, Chen stated that he believed AI would continue to help humans in the short term, but he warned that that could change within the next five to ten years.
“In the next 10–20 years, AI could take over the rest of work humans perform, and society could face a massive challenge,” Chen said. “At that time, tech companies need to take the role of defenders. I’m extremely positive about the technology but view the impact it could have on society negatively.”
DeepSeek has not announced any concrete measures to address the risks Chen Deli mentioned in his speech, but it is one of the first times the company has publicly acknowledged the downsides of AI progress.
DeepSeek’s rise and continued success
DeepSeek first made international headlines in January 2025 after releasing an AI model that outperformed several leading U.S. models, but cost less than them to produce.
The company’s founder and CEO, Liang Wenfeng, made only one major appearance this year when he met President Xi Jinping in February during a televised meeting with local entrepreneurs. Since then, DeepSeek has skipped several major Chinese technology conferences and issued a few public statements about its progress.
Even without frequent appearances, DeepSeek has continued to attract attention with its developments. In September, the company introduced an upgraded version of its V3 model, describing it as an “experimental” system designed to be more efficient to train and better at processing long sequences of text.
Although it was not a full-scale release, the announcement reinforced DeepSeek’s reputation for technical innovation and cost efficiency.
DeepSeek has also become central to China’s effort to build a self-reliant AI ecosystem, especially with the many restrictions on access to advanced foreign-made chips. The company’s models have been made compatible with domestic AI chips from major players such as Cambricon and Huawei.
In August, DeepSeek revealed another upgraded model optimized specifically for Chinese-made chips. The announcement immediately triggered a surge in domestic chip stock prices.
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