Chinese AI Researchers Find Their Voice on X

Chinese AI models like Kimi K3 and DeepSeek R1 might seem to have emerged out of nowhere, but following Chinese AI researchers on X offers a window into their work. Over the past year, a growing number of Chinese AI researchers have joined the platform.

Moonshot AI, creator of Kimi K3, has about 30 accounts on X run by current or former affiliates, including cofounders. They post about releases, research, interact with Western peers, and share personal details. Moonshot is the most active, but staff from Minimax, Z.ai, and even DeepSeek—whose employees reportedly cannot leave China—also post regularly, including job listings.

Meng Fanqing, cofounder of Evolvent AI and former Moonshot intern, says X is the best community for AI discussions, offering both Chinese and overseas audiences and a good recommendation algorithm. He started actively posting in mid-2025, after DeepSeek's R1 went viral, prompting many Chinese researchers to think about international branding.

Independent analyst Tiezhen Wang notes that Chinese researchers are filling a gap left by OpenAI and Anthropic staff who post less due to secrecy concerns. X has become a go-to because China lacks comparable platforms. Zhihu has declined since 2020, focusing on fiction; even Fields Medalist Deng Yu stopped posting in 2018. Xiaohongshu is popular but less technical.

A Moonshot paper in March attracted praise from Elon Musk, but on Chinese platforms discussions focused on authors' ages and background, while foreign readers engaged with technical details. An anonymous researcher criticizes Zhihu for being superficial and full of AI slop. Moonshot did not respond to comment.

Beyond discussion, X serves as a marketing tool. Meng compares the AI industry to finance, where branding is essential. Wang advised Moonshot in 2025 to push researchers to the front on social media, as personal posts are more interesting than official announcements and can spark collaboration. Moonshot has charismatic figures; its CEO's office reflects his rock music passion, and the company's Chinese name stems from Pink Floyd.

Wang says this openness benefits the U.S., reducing speculation about Chinese AI activities. "X is the door for them to better understand China."