DeepSeek is a new Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot that has caused a stir in global markets, Silicon Valley, and Washington, thanks to its combination of low cost and high performance. The application, developed by the eponymous startup, skyrocketed to the top of the Apple App Store in the US and the UK, surpassing OpenAI in downloads. According to experts, DeepSeek stands out because it competes with American AI solutions without relying on expensive and advanced hardware, thus avoiding geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing.
What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, is emerging as a strong player in the artificial intelligence market, offering high-level technology at a significantly lower cost than American giants like OpenAI and Google. The recently launched AI assistant app has achieved remarkable success, reaching the top of the Apple App Store in the US and other countries, demonstrating the demand for innovative yet affordable artificial intelligence solutions.
DeepSeek revealed the technical infrastructure of its model, DeepSeek-R1, which operates with less powerful and expensive chips than their American counterparts. This challenges the belief that AI development requires expensive hardware. Furthermore, the American sanctions that limit China’s access to advanced chips have not hindered the development of powerful Chinese AI solutions, raising questions about the effectiveness of these restrictions and the future of global competition in artificial intelligence.
How it works
DeepSeek operates similarly to other AI platforms like ChatGPT. Users can type in questions or requests, and the application provides responses, although it currently does not support image generation. It is available for free on both iOS and Android devices, expanding its reach to a global audience.
The underlying model of DeepSeek has been trained on data up to July, meaning it lacks knowledge of more recent events. However, it includes a search function, allowing it to pull information from the internet for the latest developments. Like other AI systems, it can process large amounts of data, recognize patterns, and make predictions. It is worth noting that the model has restrictions on politically sensitive topics for the Chinese Communist Party, avoiding references to issues such as Taiwan and Hong Kong.
What differentiates DeepSeek from ChatGPT?
DeepSeek has similar capabilities to ChatGPT, as well as other major language models like Google’s Gemini, Meta’s Llama, and Anthropic’s Claude. However, its key differentiation lies in the training and distribution methods of its technology.
DeepSeek’s researchers have developed techniques that allow for more efficient training and development of their model, making it less costly compared to American alternatives. Additionally, the company follows a more open approach, making its AI models available for download and modification by other developers and companies. This strategy allows third-party businesses to use DeepSeek’s technology to develop their own AI applications, as Meta has done with the Llama models.
In contrast, OpenAI has chosen to keep its ChatGPT technology closed and offer access to its services through subscriptions and commercial licenses. OpenAI’s approach aims to maintain control and commercially exploit its technology, but it limits the ability of external developers to modify and adapt the model to their needs.
DeepSeek has not yet reached artificial general intelligence (AGI), the point where AI achieves human-level understanding and intelligence. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has stated that such a significant breakthrough does not seem immediately achievable. Nonetheless, DeepSeek manages to compete with top artificial intelligence companies, offering similar capabilities at a fraction of the cost, making it particularly attractive to both businesses and developers.
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