MOSCOW – A satirical Russian news report falsely claiming that China’s DeepSeek AI was built on secret Soviet-era code has been mistakenly aired as real news on state television, underscoring a lingering nostalgia for Soviet technological prowess.
The fabricated story originated from Panorama, a Russian website known for its parody content. The site published a fictional interview with DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, in which he supposedly credited Soviet programmers for laying the groundwork for the AI’s development. The article claimed that the underlying code was created in 1985 by a team led by Viktor Glushkov, a pioneering Soviet scientist who developed the country’s first personal computer in the 1960s.
Despite Panorama’s well-known satirical nature, the hoax gained traction on social media and was eventually reported by Rossiya One, a national state television channel, as a legitimate news item. Influential online commentators further amplified the claim, adding to its credibility among segments of the public.
Veteran Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov also referenced the false report, praising the Soviet Union’s scientific achievements in a Telegram post that was later deleted. “The Soviet Union wasn’t just the most educated and advanced country—it was a technological civilization,” Zyuganov reportedly wrote.
While Russia has a long history of innovation, it currently lags in artificial intelligence development. According to the Global AI Index by UK-based Tortoise Media, Russia ranks 31st out of 83 countries in AI implementation, investment, and innovation—falling behind not just the US and China, but also BRICS partners India and Brazil.
With China’s latest DeepSeek AI models making waves in the global tech industry, Russia continues to monitor Beijing’s AI advancements while seeking to bolster its own capabilities. However, the recent viral hoax highlights the power of nostalgia in shaping perceptions of Russia’s scientific legacy.