A few weeks ago, a little-known Chinese AI start-up firm, DeepSeek, caused a storm in the world when it launched a world-class model created at a fraction of the cost of industry leaders like OpenAI. Donald Trump called it a “wake-up call” for the American tech sector.

DeepSeek’s experience is a good example of how scarcity breeds creativity. Being deprived of high-end chips due to US sanctions, Chinese programmers ingeniously improvised on lower-end chips and enabled them to perform tasks that previously thought were able to perform only by high-end chips. US sanctions have led the Chinese to think differently, work harder and longer hours in search of solutions.

DeepSeek’s experience shows that being small and without huge resources does not mean one cannot compete with the giants. History is full of examples of how the underdogs, through sheer hard work and creativity, were able to rise above all sorts of obstacles and succeeded. DeepSeek’s success is a great inspiration for small companies and developing countries, like Malaysia.