*I wonder, why nobody is talking of Apple since Deepseek’s arrival.* Because, the way I see it, Apple has been the biggest beneficiary of all! -> It invested hardly a few billions into AI, versus multiple tens of billions in case of other American tech giants -> And now, even though it was probably because of incompetency, that seems to have saved them tens of billions in cash! That’s a big win! Let me explain deeper. .. *Let's start from the beginning.* Back in 2022, after OpenAI rocked the world, Google, Microsoft, Meta and others were throwing billions into AI research. Meanwhile, Apple seemed to lag, catching flak for being behind the curve. -> 2023 was no different. Apple was the slowpoke in a high-speed race. Critics were relentless, and the stock market reflected this skepticism -> Then came 2024. The big American tech companies were still the talk of the town, their massive investments in AI infrastructure making headlines Meanwhile, Apple sort of accepted it was behind the curve, by partnering with Microsoft-funded OpenAI. .. *But 2025?* Deepseek arrives. Here was a company that managed to produce AI capabilities that were competitive with the likes of OpenAI and Meta but at a fraction of the cost. OpenAI had spent over $600mn on their model 'o1', and Google? They were in the billions with Gemini. *But Deepseek?* A mere $6mn. Suddenly, Deepseek was not just a blip on the radar - it was the radar. This revelation was like a bombshell in Silicon Valley, and Apple was sitting pretty. .. *I know many would opine otherwise, but (I can be wrong), Apple's strategy of cautious spending on this hot AI wave and strategic outsourcing suddenly looks brilliant, not backward.* Either they have come out really lucky. Or they intentionally positioned themselves to adopt this technology without the billions in sunk costs, waiting for the ecosystem to mature first. They've avoided throwing money into the AI fire pit. And they're now in a prime position to integrate Deepseek's technology, or something like it, into their products without the baggage of massive investment overheads. What do you think? .. *Check my work with:* - 3.3k+ on Decoding The Dragon (https://t.ly/chnwj) - 2.8k+ on Deepdives with Jay (https://t.ly/dwj) - 2.4k+ on BharatNama (https://t.ly/bwj) *My CC Referrals:* - Plat Metal: https://americanexpress.com/en-in/referral/platinum?ref=jAYANMH2H5&XL=MIANS - Plat Reserve: https://americanexpress.com/en-in/referral/platinum-reserve?ref=jAYANMu0C1&XL=MIANS Best, Jayant Shilanjan Mundhra