China's AI ecosystem is gaining prominence as institutions worldwide opt for cost-effective solutions like DeepSeek and Alibaba's models, often sidelining U.S. alternatives. DeepSeek, with 125 million downloads, offers quality at 17 times lower costs, attracting clients such as Saudi Aramco. According to Latenode's Oleg Zanko, this trend pressures firms like OpenAI. UC Berkeley's Ritwik Gupta warns that a shift in dependency could diminish U.S. influence in AI governance, heightening global stakes.