Caiwei Chen, a tech reporter at MIT Technology Review, dives into the rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI powerhouse challenging established giants like ChatGPT. She discusses how DeepSeek developed its R1 model rapidly and at a lower cost, shaking up Silicon Valley. The conversation also touches on skepticism regarding DeepSeek's funding and transparency while addressing how U.S. sanctions might have inadvertently boosted innovation in Chinese tech. Chen highlights this pivotal moment in global technology dynamics.

Journalist Chen Caiwei joins the podcast to discuss learning another language, dating on Tinder, music and culture in China and abroad, and life as a student overseas. They also dive into topics such as language proficiency expectations, perceptions of thanking in a foreign language, misconceptions about Guo Mal, exploring Chinatown, cultural appropriation in K-pop, the power dynamics in social media platforms, managing social media usage, the presence of trolling and uplifting content on social media, and critiquing Chinese culture.