How China is Riding the Open Source Wave with Kevin Xu

The podcast explores the evolution and current state of China's open-source ecosystem, particularly within the context of AI development. It traces the history from the mid-90s, when open-source code first entered China, to the present day, marked by the rise of Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek. A key point is the shift from Chinese developers primarily consuming open-source software to actively contributing and shaping the global open-source community. The conversation highlights the grassroots movements, such as Kaiyuan She, that fostered open-source culture, and the impact of events like Huawei's blacklisting, which propelled open source from a growth strategy to a survival imperative. Kevin Xu, founder of Interconnected Capital, provides insights into the motivations behind Chinese developers' engagement with open source, including a desire to demonstrate technical capabilities and contribute to global innovation.