The artificial intelligence market has been shaken by the launch of DeepSeek, an open-source Chinese AI model that has surprised many with its efficiency, low cost, and free accessibility. In a sector dominated by U.S. tech giants, this new proposal has sparked great interest and debate about the future of AI innovation.
This free AI-powered chatbot operates very similarly to ChatGPT, meaning it can perform many of the same tasks, and is as powerful as OpenAIās o1 model released late last year, especially in areas like math and coding.
One of DeepSeekās biggest surprises is its training costāonly $6 millionāsignificantly lower than the $100 million typically spent by companies like OpenAI, Google, or Meta on similar models.
The founder of DeepSeek managed to minimize the impact of U.S. restrictions on high-performance chips reaching China. Reportedly, he created a stockpile of Nvidia A100 chipsāwhose export to China has been banned since September 2022āand combined them with cheaper, less sophisticated ones, resulting in a much more efficient training process.
It also uses less memory than its competitors, ultimately lowering the cost of task execution for users.
This combination of performance and affordability helped it become the most downloaded free app on Appleās App Store upon its U.S. launch.
This not only demonstrates Chinaās ability to develop advanced technology on tighter budgets, but also redefines competitiveness in AI by lowering the barriers to entry.
š What makes DeepSeek unique?
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Open-source and free: Its cost-free availability allows developers and companies to leverage and improve the model, fostering global collaboration and innovation.
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Optimization through distillation: It uses a technique that enables it to learn from previous models, reducing training cost and time without sacrificing performance.
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Disruptive market strategy: By offering an accessible and efficient model, it challenges tech giants relying on licenses and closed systems.
The launch of DeepSeek marks a new chapter in the international race for AI leadership. While China bets on accessible and collaborative models, the U.S. and Europe face the challenge of maintaining technological leadership without losing competitiveness.
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