In the world of artificial intelligence, where names like OpenAI and Google dominate the conversation, a new competitor has emerged that is giving a lot to talk about: DeepSeek. This Chinese, open source AI model has surprised the industry with its power, efficiency and, above all, its ability to compete with giants like GPT-4 at a fraction of the cost.
What is DeepSeek and who is behind it?
DeepSeek is the name of both the company and its artificial intelligence model. Developed by a team led by Liang Wenfeng, the initiative was born out of a Chinese hedge fund with a clear focus: rather than rushing a product to market, they preferred to invest in quality and stability. This more meticulous approach has led DeepSeek to become a solid alternative in the race for artificial intelligence.
One of its major particularities is that it is an open source model, which means that any person or company can access it, modify it and adapt it to their needs. This contrasts with most of the best-known models, which are closed and controlled exclusively by the companies that created them.
DeepSeek’s innovations
DeepSeek has attracted attention not only for its performance, but also for its internal structure. It uses the Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture, which allows tasks to be divided among specialized models, optimizing processing and improving response accuracy. In addition, its Large Language Model (LLM) allows it to generate more natural and contextualized responses.
DeepSeek currently has two main models:
- DeepSeek V3, which competes directly with advanced models such as GPT-4 and Llama 3.1.
- DeepSeek-R1, specializing in logical reasoning, mathematics and programming, which has outperformed GPT-4 in mathematical accuracy tests.
Most surprisingly, DeepSeek’s development has been incredibly cost-efficient. According to experts, its training cost only 3% of what OpenAI invested in GPT-4, making it a much more affordable option without losing quality.
How to use DeepSeek?
If you are interested in trying DeepSeek, the process is quite simple:
- Register: access their official website or download the application. You do not need to pay to use the models, even the most advanced ones.
- Interaction: Enter your questions or commands in the interface and experiment with the different functions available, from text generation to math problem solving.
- Open source: If you are a programmer, you can download the code from GitHub and customize it for specific projects.
Be aware that, due to its Chinese origin, DeepSeek has certain restrictions regarding sensitive issues, such as the conflict between Taiwan and China. If you try to address these issues, the AI will display a message indicating that it cannot respond.
A global impact and a challenge for the West
DeepSeek’s rapid rise has piqued the interest (and concern) of the technology industry in the United States and Europe. Wall Street has already begun to wonder how this will affect large tech companies, many of which have invested sums of millions in expensive, closed AI chips and models.
Some analysts see DeepSeek’s growth as part of a broader strategy by China to strengthen its presence in the AI sector. By offering an open source, accessible and efficient alternative, the country is seeking to position itself as a leader in AI and set the standard for international standards, especially in emerging markets looking for cheaper technology solutions.
The future of artificial intelligence?
DeepSeek has demonstrated that it is possible to compete with the industry giants with a more collaborative and efficient approach. As more developers join its community and technology continues to evolve, this model is likely to gain even more ground.
Will DeepSeek be the future of artificial intelligence? It’s still too early to tell, but one thing is for sure: it has arrived to challenge the status quo and change the rules of the game.
