The Download: DeepSeek’s latest AI breakthrough, and the race to build world models

《下载》：DeepSeek 的最新 AI 突破，以及构建“世界模型”的竞赛

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. 这是今日份的《下载》，我们为您提供每日科技界动态的平日通讯。

Three reasons why DeepSeek’s new model matters

DeepSeek 新模型为何意义重大

On Friday, Chinese AI firm DeepSeek released a preview of V4, its long-awaited new flagship model. Notably, the model can process much longer prompts than its last generation, thanks to a new design that handles large amounts of text more efficiently. While the model remains open source, its performance matches leading closed-source rivals from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. It is also DeepSeek’s first release optimized for Huawei’s Ascend chips—a key test of China’s dependence on Nvidia. Here are three ways V4 could shake up AI. —Caiwei Chen 周五，中国人工智能公司 DeepSeek 发布了其备受期待的新旗舰模型 V4 的预览版。值得注意的是，得益于一种能更高效处理海量文本的新设计，该模型能够处理比上一代长得多的提示词（prompts）。虽然该模型保持开源，但其性能已能媲美 Anthropic、OpenAI 和 Google 等领先的闭源竞争对手。这也是 DeepSeek 首个针对华为昇腾芯片进行优化的版本——这是中国对英伟达依赖程度的一次关键测试。以下是 V4 可能撼动 AI 领域的三个方面。——Caiwei Chen

The rise of world models

“世界模型”的兴起

AI systems have already gained impressive mastery over the digital world, but the physical world remains humanity’s domain. As it turns out, building an AI that composes novels or code apps is far easier than developing one to fold laundry or navigate city streets. To bridge this gap, many researchers believe you need something called a world model. Proponents like Stanford professor Fei-Fei Li and AMI Labs founder Yann LeCun argue these models can overcome the well-known limitations of LLMs—and realize AI’s promise for robotics. Find out why they’ve brought world models to the forefront of the field. —Grace Huckins AI 系统已经在数字世界中获得了令人印象深刻的掌控力，但物理世界仍然是人类的领地。事实证明，构建一个能创作小说或编写应用程序的 AI，远比开发一个能折叠衣物或在城市街道中导航的 AI 要容易得多。为了弥合这一差距，许多研究人员认为需要一种被称为“世界模型”的东西。斯坦福大学教授李飞飞和 AMI Labs 创始人 Yann LeCun 等支持者认为，这些模型可以克服大语言模型（LLM）众所周知的局限性，并实现 AI 在机器人技术方面的潜力。了解他们为何将“世界模型”推向该领域的前沿。——Grace Huckins

World models are on our list of the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, our essential guide to what’s really worth your attention in the field. Subscribers can watch an exclusive roundtable unveiling the technologies and trends on the list, with analysis from MIT Technology Review’s AI reporter Grace Huckins and executive editors Amy Nordrum and Niall Firth. “世界模型”位列我们的“当前 AI 领域最重要的 10 件事”名单中，这是我们为您整理的该领域真正值得关注的指南。订阅用户可以观看一场独家圆桌会议，了解名单上的技术和趋势，并听取《麻省理工科技评论》AI 记者 Grace Huckins 以及执行编辑 Amy Nordrum 和 Niall Firth 的分析。

The must-reads

必读内容

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 我为您梳理了互联网，找出了今天关于科技最有趣、最重要、最令人担忧以及最引人入胜的故事。

1. China has blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus. Regulators cited national security grounds. Beijing called the deal a “conspiratorial” attempt to hollow out its tech base. The country is tightening its grip on AI firms that try to leave. The decision escalates China’s AI rivalry with the US. But there will be no winners in their competition. (MIT Technology Review)

2. 中国阻止了 Meta 对 AI 初创公司 Manus 的 20 亿美元收购。 监管机构以国家安全为由叫停了交易。北京方面称该交易是掏空其技术基础的“阴谋”企图。中国正在加强对试图外迁的 AI 公司的管控。这一决定加剧了中国与美国在 AI 领域的竞争。但在这场竞争中不会有赢家。（《麻省理工科技评论》）

3. Google is investing up to $40 billion in Anthropic. In a deal valuing the AI firm at $350 billion. The funding will support the firm’s growing computing needs. Anthropic and OpenAI are fighting for compute capacity.

4. Google 将向 Anthropic 投资高达 400 亿美元。 该交易对这家 AI 公司的估值为 3500 亿美元。这笔资金将支持该公司日益增长的计算需求。Anthropic 和 OpenAI 正在争夺计算能力。

5. President Trump just fired the entire National Science Board. The NSF has played a crucial role in developing technology. The move heightens fears over political interference in US science.

6. 特朗普总统刚刚解雇了整个国家科学委员会。 美国国家科学基金会（NSF）在技术开发中发挥了关键作用。此举加剧了人们对美国科学界受到政治干预的担忧。

7. Conspiracy theories about the Washington shooting are proliferating online. Over 300,000 posts appeared on X using the keyword “staged.” The theories are also swirling on Bluesky and Instagram.

8. 关于华盛顿枪击事件的阴谋论在网上激增。 X 上出现了超过 30 万条使用“摆拍”（staged）关键词的帖子。这些理论也在 Bluesky 和 Instagram 上流传。

9. The AI compute crunch is starting to hit the broader economy. It’s affecting jobs, gadgets, and electricity prices. The AI compute explosion is the tech story of our time. (MIT Technology Review)

10. AI 计算紧缺开始波及更广泛的经济领域。 它正在影响就业、电子产品和电价。AI 计算的爆发是我们这个时代最重要的科技故事。（《麻省理工科技评论》）

11. Elon Musk says a new banking tool brings X close to a “super app.” He’s pledged to launch the tool this month.

12. 埃隆·马斯克称，一项新的银行工具使 X 接近成为“超级应用”。 他承诺本月推出该工具。

13. AI optimism is surging across Asia while US sentiment cools. The divide could shape where adoption happens fastest.

14. 亚洲对 AI 的乐观情绪高涨，而美国的情绪则在降温。 这种分歧可能会决定 AI 在何处普及得最快。

15. Apple is tying its new CEO’s ascent to its first foldable iPhone. It wants to build the buzz around John Ternus.

16. 苹果将新任 CEO 的晋升与首款折叠屏 iPhone 挂钩。 它希望围绕 John Ternus 制造热度。

17. Twelve firms are developing the Golden Dome’s space-based interceptors. They’ve won contracts worth up to $3.2 billion.

18. 十二家公司正在开发“金穹”（Golden Dome）的天基拦截器。 它们赢得了价值高达 32 亿美元的合同。

19. NASA has shared promising results from Artemis II. The spacecraft and rocket fared well.

20. NASA 分享了“阿尔忒弥斯 2 号”（Artemis II）的积极成果。 航天器和火箭表现良好。

Quote of the day

今日金句

“Getting out the truth and establishing facts and reliable information takes time. But our audiences really don’t have that kind of patience.” —Amanda Crawford, associate professor at the University of Connecticut, tells the NYT why conspiracy theories are gaining traction online. “揭示真相、确立事实和可靠信息需要时间。但我们的受众真的没有那种耐心。”——康涅狄格大学副教授 Amanda Crawford 在接受《纽约时报》采访时，解释了为何阴谋论在网上大行其道。

One More Thing

更多内容

Welcome to Kenya’s Great Carbon Valley: a bold new gamble to fight climate change. Kenya’s Great Rift Valley is home to five geothermal power stations, which harness clouds of steam to generate about a quarter of the country’s electricity. But some of the energy escapes into the atmosphere, while even more remains underground for lack of demand. That’s what brought Octavia Carbon here. Last year, the startup began harnessing some of that excess energy to remove CO2 from the air. The company says the method is efficient, affordable, and—crucially—scalable. But the project also faces fierce opposition. Read the full story on the future of Kenya’s “Great Carbon Valley.” —Diana Kruzman 欢迎来到肯尼亚的“大碳谷”：一场应对气候变化的勇敢新赌注。 肯尼亚的大裂谷拥有五座地热发电站，它们利用蒸汽云为该国提供约四分之一的电力。但部分能量逸散到了大气中，还有更多能量因缺乏需求而留在地下。这就是 Octavia Carbon 来到这里的原因。去年，这家初创公司开始利用部分多余的能量从空气中去除二氧化碳。该公司表示，这种方法高效、经济，而且至关重要的是——可扩展。但该项目也面临着激烈的反对。阅读关于肯尼亚“大碳谷”未来的完整报道。——Diana Kruzman