Chery International (China) - Chery, a giant in the automotive and smart technology industries, has taken a significant step in AI evolution by announcing a strategic collaboration with DeepSeek, an emerging AI powerhouse. This move aims to redefine the AI interaction ecosystem, focusing on enhancing the voice capabilities of Aimoga robots.

This decision follows the breakdown of the collaboration between Figure, a leader in humanoid robotics, and OpenAI, highlighting companies' ability to quickly adapt to changes and optimize industrial strategies, partnership costs, and technological development. At the same time, DeepSeek has made history with its low-cost AI training technology, ushering in a new wave of innovation in the market.

A Revolution in AI Interaction: Cost Efficiency and Technological Openness

The highlight of this collaboration is DeepSeek’s significantly lower AI training cost—90% cheaper than OpenAI’s, with an investment of only $5.57 million. Utilizing NVIDIA H800 chips, DeepSeek follows an MIT open-source protocol, ensuring full transparency in model weights and training logs. This low-cost, open approach perfectly aligns with Chery’s research and development philosophy, focused on “technology for the benefit of all.”

Chery Aimoga’s R&D team has already integrated DeepSeek’s V2, V3, and R1 models into its robotics platform, powering the interaction systems of Chery 4S Store marketing robots. This move underscores Chery’s willingness to collaborate with DeepSeek and other industry leaders in AI to explore new possibilities and push the boundaries of robotics.

Strategic Vision: 15 Years of AI Investments

Chery’s decision reflects a long-term strategic vision. Since 2010, the company has been building an interconnected intelligence technology foundation, partnering with industry giants like Baidu and iFlytek. The launch of the CheryLion system in 2018 marked the company’s full entry into the AI domain. In 2020, Chery launched a dedicated R&D program for humanoid robots, culminating in the global debut of the Aimoga brand and its self-developed robots and robotic dogs in 2023. In 2024, Chery announced plans for mass production of Aimoga robots, with an investment of 100 million yuan.

This long-term focus has solidified Chery’s position as an AI innovator. The integration with DeepSeek reinforces Chery’s commitment to fostering an open ecosystem rather than exclusive technology and innovating through scenario-based applications. This strategic focus has contributed to Chery’s impressive performance in the global automotive market, maintaining its status as China’s leading automotive exporter for 22 consecutive years.

Chery’s Milestones and Future: Expansion and Innovation

In 2024, Chery set a sales record, selling 2,603,916 vehicles—a 38.4% growth compared to the previous year. Exports reached 1,144,588 units, marking a 21.4% increase. These figures not only strengthen Chery’s position as one of the most popular brands worldwide but also reaffirm its resilience in the automotive and technology sectors, now recognized within the Fortune Global 500.

Chery Aimoga Robotics aims to launch humanoid robots in international markets in the first half of this year, initially supporting automotive sales. The brand also plans to integrate internet development and automotive intelligence to create a smart mobility ecosystem centered on human, robot, and vehicle collaboration. This vision aligns with its goal of becoming a household smart terminal, further solidifying Chery as a leader in the AI-driven future.

With its collaboration with DeepSeek, Chery strengthens its position as a pioneer and innovator, not only in the automotive industry but also in the development of intelligent technologies designed to transform the future of mobility and human-machine interaction.