Everything you need to know about the new ChatGPT rival DeepSeek

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has emerged as a significant competitor to ChatGPT by offering comparable AI capabilities through its free chatbot service, powered by its newly released R1 model.

Core Technology and Development: DeepSeek has created two primary language models, DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1, that achieve performance levels similar to leading ChatGPT models while requiring significantly less computing power.

• The company employs an innovative training process based on trial and error, mimicking human learning patterns
• Its Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture activates only necessary parameters, resulting in improved computational efficiency
• DeepSeek Coder, the company’s first product, was launched in November 2023, followed by DeepSeek-V2 in May 2024

Key Features and Accessibility: The platform offers a straightforward chatbot interface with basic but effective functionality.

• Users can access DeepSeek through its website or mobile apps for iOS and Android
• The service provides two model options: the general-purpose DeepSeek-V3 and the reasoning-focused DeepSeek-R1
• Web search capabilities are integrated directly into the chatbot interface

Competitive Advantages: DeepSeek distinguishes itself through its pricing strategy and efficiency.

• The chatbot service is completely free to use
• API pricing is significantly lower than competitors, at $0.55 per million input tokens compared to OpenAI’s $15
• The platform’s efficient architecture results in reduced computational costs

Limitations and Concerns: Several factors could impact DeepSeek’s adoption and growth.

• The platform lacks advanced features like AI image generation and video creation
• Security experts have raised data privacy concerns due to the company’s Chinese ownership
• Recent service outages from “malicious attacks” have led to restricted sign-ups
• The platform offers fewer customization options compared to ChatGPT

Market Impact: The introduction of DeepSeek has already influenced the AI industry landscape.

• The app has reached the top position in the iPhone App Store
• Its aggressive pricing strategy has forced competitors in the Chinese market to lower their prices
• The platform’s success demonstrates growing demand for accessible, cost-effective AI solutions

Looking Ahead: While DeepSeek’s rapid rise is noteworthy, its long-term success will likely depend on addressing privacy concerns and expanding its feature set while maintaining its cost advantage. The platform’s efficient architecture and competitive pricing could reshape market dynamics in the AI chatbot space, though regulatory scrutiny and geopolitical factors may present challenges to its global expansion.