Silicon Valley adopts China's 996 culture; DeepSeek founder says no KPIs or overtime
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has distanced his AI company from China's '996' work culture, advocating for a more relaxed research environment without KPIs or mandatory overtime. This approach contrasts with the increasing pressure for longer workweeks seen in some Silicon Valley startups.
Why it matters
The debate over work culture in the AI sector highlights the tension between the need for rapid innovation and the sustainability of employee well-being.
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng says his AI company does not follow China's widely known "996" work culture. His comments come even as some Silicon Valley founders are pushing for longer workweeks to stay competitive. "We generally don't work overtime," Wenfeng said, adding that employees are not assigned key performance indicators (KPIs) despite the company's rapid growth in the AI sector.Speaking during a nearly four-hour discussion with employees, according to a transcript obtained by Tencent Technology, Wenfeng also said, "No one manages them. No KPIs." His remarks come as several technology investors and startup founders advocate longer working hours, arguing that the AI race demands greater intensity from startups.DeepSeek says research needs a relaxed environmentExplaining why the company avoids overtime, Wenfeng said, "We generally don't work overtime." He added that there are two reasons behind the policy.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in