Welcome to The Abacus

Hey, welcome to The Abacus!

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT and demonstrated the potential of generative AI technology for productivity growth, Silicon Valley has scrambled to respond. A flood of AI startups and products launched. Asia is no different. The Abacus is a newsletter covering the most innovative AI products in Asia, explores how AI businesses achieve stable growth momentum, and examines the impact of differing AI regulatory policies by Asian countries on deepening geopolitical ramifications and divisions. 

Let's talk about China, a central piece of The Abacus narrative. Biden's chip export controls symbolize the growing tensions of a technology cold war between the U.S. and China. However, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping's recent visit to the U.S. in seven years for the APEC summit may signal a potential thaw in these tensions. Despite chip restrictions targeting its supercomputing and AI development, China now has over 130 large language models (LLMs), accounting for roughly 40% of the global total, just behind the U.S.'s 50%. 

But, current AI news market dominated by Silicon Valley, Asian perspectives are seldom heard. Living with 30 Americans for two years in a co-op, I've gained insights into what outsiders find intriguing about Asia and how best to tell them. So, why not create a news platform to bridge this gap?

The Abacus, drawing its name from the traditional calculating tool believed to have originated in China, also feels like as good a metaphor as any for reminding me what is humanity’s situation in the AI era and questioning whether our intelligence is sufficient to discern AI's capabilities. Another personal reason for choosing this name is that the abacus was what I selected at my first-birthday grab party (sorry dad, I got a finance degree in college but didn't become an accountant tho).

Time to introduce myself. I’m Jinpeng Li, aka J.P. As a tech reporter from Asia who lives in the U.S. — after receiving training in Yicai Media and Caixin Media, I moved to Austin to pursue my master's degree in Journalism and Media at UT — I've noticed a certain paradigm in Western media's portrayal of Asia, often marked by a subtle hostility. I hope to balance the perspective in Western media, help you understand the Asian market's nuanced operational logic, and make better decisions about products, policies and regulations, showing you how a Gen-Z reporter sees the world.

Even though I've been in the journalism industry for a while, newsletters feel like a new medium to me. For a long time, I held back from commenting on trending topics. This restraint wasn't unique to me — when I was reporting news in China, not publicly disclosing sources' names had become industry practice. From the top down, people avoided speaking out to prevent unnecessary trouble. Whether it's high-level politics or grassroots opinions, both are like huge icebergs hidden beneath the surface, deep and unknown. 

Therefore, creating The Abacus is a big challenge for me. I need to express my opinion, not to mention my words will arrive directly in your inbox. I don’t know for certain if The Abacus will last a long time, but I do know I really hope to tell the current stories happening in Asia and keep you informed.

Last but not least, I need your help! Anyone can subscribe to The Abacus for free, and please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested! I'm still growing and eager to hear your feedback, comments, or any constructive criticism. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me:  [email protected]. 

Y’all ready to join me?

J.P.