Russian State TV Falls for Satirical Report on DeepSeek AI's 'Soviet Origins'
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Russian TV Falls for Fake Report on DeepSeek's 'Soviet Code'
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A spoof Russian news report that China's DeepSeek AI app was based on a secret Soviet code has found its way onto state TV, reflecting nostalgia in Russian society for a lost age of technological supremacy. Russian fake news website Panorama, which calls itself a satirical publication and is transparent about its fictional content, ran a fabricated interview with Liang Wenfeng, the founder of DeepSeek, in which he praised Soviet programmers. The fake interview claimed that the code used by the startup was created in 1985 by a team led by scientist Viktor Glushkov, regarded as the creator of the first Soviet personal computer in the 1960s. Glushkov also developed a data-processing network that was designed to help run the Soviet planned economy. Some Russian scientists argue that the network had some early features of artificial intelligence. The fake story went viral and was reported by the Rossiya One national state television channel as if it was a genuine news item. It was also picked up by influential social media accounts. "Not only was the Soviet Union the most educated and advanced country. The Soviet Union was a scientific and technological civilisation," veteran Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said in a post on Telegram that was later removed. Russia ranks only 31st out of 83 countries for AI implementation, innovation, and investment according to UK-based Tortoise Media's Global AI Index, trailing not only the United States and China but also fellow BRICS members India and Brazil. Russia, which has two major domestic AI models, is eyeing closely China's successes in artificial intelligence as the latest DeepSeek models, released last month, have upended the global tech landscape. (Reporting by Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
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Russian TV falls for fake report on DeepSeek's 'Soviet code'
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A spoof Russian news report that China's DeepSeek AI app was based on a secret Soviet code has found its way onto state TV, reflecting nostalgia in Russian society for a lost age of technological supremacy. Russian fake news website Panorama, which calls itself a satirical publication and is transparent about its fictional content, ran a fabricated interview with Liang Wenfeng, the founder of DeepSeek, in which he praised Soviet programmers. The fake interview claimed that the code used by the startup was created in 1985 by a team led by scientist Viktor Glushkov, regarded as the creator of the first Soviet personal computer in the 1960s. Glushkov also developed a data-processing network that was designed to help run the Soviet planned economy. Some Russian scientists argue that the network had some early features of artificial intelligence. The fake story went viral and was reported by the Rossiya One national state television channel as if it was a genuine news item. It was also picked up by influential social media accounts. "Not only was the Soviet Union the most educated and advanced country. The Soviet Union was a scientific and technological civilisation," veteran Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said in a post on Telegram that was later removed. Russia ranks only 31st out of 83 countries for AI implementation, innovation, and investment according to UK-based Tortoise Media's Global AI Index, trailing not only the United States and China but also fellow BRICS members India and Brazil. Russia, which has two major domestic AI models, is eyeing closely China's successes in artificial intelligence as the latest DeepSeek models, released last month, have upended the global tech landscape. (Reporting by Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
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A fake news story claiming China's DeepSeek AI was based on Soviet code went viral in Russia, exposing nostalgia for past technological prowess and highlighting the country's current position in the global AI race.
Satirical Report Goes Viral
A satirical news story about China's DeepSeek AI being based on secret Soviet code has unexpectedly found its way onto Russian state television, sparking a wave of nostalgia for the country's past technological achievements. The fake report, originally published by the Russian satirical website Panorama, claimed that DeepSeek's AI technology was derived from code created by Soviet scientists in 1985
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.The Spread of Misinformation
The fabricated story quickly gained traction, with Russia's national state television channel Rossiya One reporting it as genuine news. The report included a fictional interview with DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, in which he allegedly praised Soviet programmers for their contributions to the AI model
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.Soviet Nostalgia and Technological Pride
The incident has exposed a deep-seated nostalgia in Russian society for the Soviet era's perceived technological supremacy. The fake story attributed DeepSeek's supposed Soviet origins to a team led by Viktor Glushkov, a prominent Soviet scientist known for creating the first Soviet personal computer in the 1960s
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.Gennady Zyuganov, a veteran Communist Party leader, initially shared the false information on Telegram, stating, "Not only was the Soviet Union the most educated and advanced country. The Soviet Union was a scientific and technological civilisation." The post was later removed
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.Related Stories
Russia's Current AI Standing
The viral spread of this misinformation comes at a time when Russia is grappling with its position in the global AI race. According to the UK-based Tortoise Media's Global AI Index, Russia currently ranks 31st out of 83 countries for AI implementation, innovation, and investment
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.This ranking places Russia behind not only global leaders like the United States and China but also fellow BRICS members India and Brazil. The country's eagerness to embrace the false narrative about DeepSeek's Soviet origins may reflect a desire to reclaim its status as a technological powerhouse
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.Looking to China's AI Advancements
As Russia continues to develop its AI capabilities, with two major domestic AI models already in place, the country is closely monitoring China's successes in the field. The recent release of DeepSeek's latest models has significantly impacted the global tech landscape, further highlighting the competitive nature of AI development on the international stage
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.This incident serves as a reminder of the power of misinformation in the digital age and the complex interplay between national pride, technological advancement, and the global AI race.
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