Seeking the Next DeepSeek: the Chinese Generative AI Algorithm Registry, with Kendra Schaefer

Sinica Podcast

Kaiser Kuo

Culture, China News, Hangzhou, Chinese, International Relations, Chongqing, Beijing, Sichuan, Currentaffairs, China, Politics, Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, China Economy, News, China Politics, Business, Film, Shenzhen

4.8 • 676 Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2025

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week on Sinica, I speak with Kendra Schaefer, the partner at Trivium China who heads their tech practice. She recently published a fascinating paper looking at the Cyberspace Administration of China's comprehensive database of generative AI tools released in China, and she shares the insights and big takeaways from her research on that database. It's a terrific window into what Chinese firms, both private and state-affiliated, are doing with generative AI.

03:51 – Mandatory registration of generative AI Tools in China

10:28 – How does the CAC categorize AI Tools?

14:25 – State-affiliated vs. non-state-affiliated AI Tools

18:55 – Capability and competition of China's AI Industry

22:57 – Significance of Generative Algorithmic Tools (GAT) registration counts

26:06 – The application of GATs in the education sector

29:50 – The application of GATs in the healthcare Sector

31:00 – Underrepresentation of AI tools in other sectors

32:56 – Regional breakdown of AI innovation in China

36:07 – AI adoption across sectors: how companies integrate AI

40:21 – Standout projects by the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS)

42:42 – How multinationals navigate China's tech regulations

47:50 – Role of foreign players in China's AI strategy

49:38 – Key takeaways from the AI development journey

53:41 -– Blind spots in AI data

57:25 – Kendra's future research direction

Paying it Forward: Kenton Thibaut.

Recommendations:

Kendra: The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age by Thomas Mullaney.

Kaiser: the Rhyming Chaos Podcast by Jeremy Goldkorn and Maria Repnikova

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Audible brings your wildest adventures to life, delivering heart-pounding thrills at the touch
0:05.8	of a button.
0:07.0	Take Richard Osmond's The Thursday Murder Club, where four retirees turned amateur sleuths
0:11.8	solve crimes in the most unexpected ways, brilliantly performed by Leslie Manville.
0:17.1	Ready to unleash your adventure aside, from pulse racing suspense to epic quests, from supernatural
0:22.6	chills to far-off romances, every story comes alive through world-class narration.
0:28.5	Explore exclusive audible originals, chart-topping new releases, and unforgettable bestsellers
0:34.4	that transport you from the very first word, because the next great
0:38.2	adventure is just a listener way.
0:40.8	Start your free 30-day trial at audible.com slash Wondery UK.
0:45.7	That's audible.com slash Wondery UK. Welcome to the Cynica podcast, a weekly discussion of current affairs in China.
1:02.7	In this program, we'll look at books, ideas, new research, intellectual currents,
1:07.1	and cultural trends that can help us better understand what's happening in China's
1:10.9	politics, foreign relations, economics, and society. Join me each week for in-depth conversations
1:17.0	that shed more light and bring less heat to how we think and talk about China. I'm Kaiser Guo
1:23.3	coming to you from my home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Seneca is supported this year by the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
1:31.2	a National Resource Center for the Study of East Asia.
1:34.1	The Cynica podcast will remain free, but if you work for an organization that believes in what I'm doing with the podcast,
1:40.2	please consider lending your support.
1:42.3	You can get me at Cinecapod at gmail.com.
1:46.1	And listeners, please, please, please support my work at Cyniccapodcast.com.
1:51.1	Do become a subscriber and enjoy, in addition to the podcast,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kaiser Kuo, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Kaiser Kuo and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.