Source | Yuan Media Group

Finally, civil engineers are getting their share of the AI revolution.

Recently, DeepSeek posted a job listing on its official website for its IDC data center team, seeking candidates with backgrounds in electrical engineering, HVAC, automation, energy, environment, civil engineering, and related fields. These positions are available in Hangzhou, Beijing, and Ulanqab.

Screenshot sourced from DeepSeek's official website

Behind every technological leap lies a foundation in real estate; at the core of AI advancement is property development.

The surge in memory chip prices has propelled the fortunes of tech industry leaders, with luxury homes in Hangzhou and Shenzhen being quickly snapped up.

According to First Finance, most buyers in Hangzhou's luxury property market are founders, executives, and listed company bosses from Zhejiang Province, primarily in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, AI, and new materials, aged between 35 and 45.

The same trend is evident in Shenzhen's luxury market. Buyers are predominantly in tech-driven fields such as scientific research, intelligent manufacturing, new energy vehicles, and semiconductors, with "post-90s" buyers accounting for 31%.

However, amid this tech-fueled wealth boom, the primary beneficiaries have been bosses and executives, with wealth flowing mainly into residential properties. DeepSeek's recruitment of civil engineers offers an opportunity for ordinary individuals to participate in the AI craze, with wealth now flowing into tech infrastructure: land.

DeepSeek stated in the job posting, "Every generation faces its own infrastructure revolution. In the past, it was railways, power grids, and the internet. Today, it's the massive computing clusters supporting AI development."

DeepSeek has long operated on a computing power leasing model. In its early stages, the small-team, asset-light approach proved highly efficient. However, as model parameters continue to expand, computing leasing costs have gradually risen.

This indicates that the lifeblood of AI is increasingly being controlled by external entities. DeepSeek has recognized this vulnerability.

Thus, in June 2026, DeepSeek, which had previously vowed "no financing, no IPO, no commercialization," completed its first external funding round, raising 51 billion yuan with a post-money valuation of approximately 400 billion yuan.

Liang Wenfeng maintained control by contributing 20 billion yuan himself. Among the investors, Tencent invested 10 billion yuan, CATL invested about 5 billion yuan, while NetEase, JD.com, IDG, and Monolith Capital each invested around 3 billion yuan.

Screenshot sourced from Tianyancha

With the funds secured, DeepSeek immediately shifted its strategy—building its own data centers and launching a large-scale recruitment drive.

The company posted a recruitment list on its official website, covering seven categories and 33 positions, including civil engineers. The job description outlines three major directions: infrastructure operations, planning and design, and on-site data center management.

The role involves full lifecycle maintenance of newly built data centers, from planning and construction to testing and operations. It also includes participating in the planning and design of data center parks and server rooms, as well as designing and reviewing power supply, cooling, rack, and network infrastructure solutions.

In fact, it's not just DeepSeek—global tech giants have also recognized the "importance of computing autonomy" and are investing heavily in infrastructure. This includes xAI (Elon Musk's venture), OpenAI, ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent.

Domestic tech giants are either purchasing buildings outright or constructing their own.

For example, ByteDance acquired two plots of land in Beijing to build the Douyin Group Digital Economy Industrial Park and a headquarters for large model and AI fundamental technology R&D. JD.com purchased land or buildings in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Hong Kong, creating a layout for technology R&D, industrial integration, and international capital interfaces.

According to Colliers International, in the first half of 2026, there were 192 major commercial real estate transactions in China, totaling approximately 121.2 billion yuan, a 76.2% year-on-year increase. Among these, 43 were office transactions totaling 25.74 billion yuan, with a significant portion for corporate self-use.

A trend is emerging: real estate such as office buildings and modern factories is becoming increasingly prominent on corporate balance sheets.

A JLL report points out that computing infrastructure is breaking this traditional mold, emerging as a strategic real estate asset on par with office space and production facilities. By the end of June 2025, the number of operational data center racks in China had grown to 10.85 million.

Civil engineers affected by the real estate adjustment cycle are finally being given a lifeline, with opportunities to return to work.

Over the past few years, as real estate companies faced debt crises and business contractions, teams were downsized accordingly. Wind data shows that in 2021, 188 A-share and Hong Kong-listed real estate companies employed 1.614 million people, but by 2025, this number had dropped to 1.125 million, a reduction of 489,000.

However, not all "civil engineers" will benefit from this tech giant-driven computing infrastructure boom.

DeepSeek's job requirements suggest that engineering construction may only be a foundational skill, with additional demands for infrastructure operations and data center planning and design capabilities.

Note: This article is based on official reports and publicly available information. The views expressed are for reference only. Some images are sourced from the internet; if there is any infringement, please notify us for removal.