DeepSeek Surpasses ChatGPT on iPhone App Charts: A New Milestone in AI
In a remarkable turn of events, DeepSeek, a mobile AI application developed in China, has overtaken OpenAI's ChatGPT to claim the top spot on the iPhone free app charts in both China and the United States. This significant achievement comes just days after the launch of its new \"reasoning model,\" DeepSeek R1.
Users activating the \"DeepThink (R1)\" mode experience an AI that displays its \"thinking process\" before generating responses, allowing it to handle complex logical and mathematical problems with greater proficiency. According to DeepSeek's official website, the R1 model's performance is \"on par with\" OpenAI-o1, yet operates at approximately 1/30th of its rival's cost.
DeepSeek is currently offering its mobile app and web chatbot free for general use, with only application programming interface (API) calls for programmers requiring payment. In a move to promote open collaboration, the company has also made its full-size model available for free download, enabling users with sufficient hardware to run it locally. For those with less powerful devices, scaled-down versions optimized for everything from ultra-thin laptops to high-performance gaming rigs are provided.
Beyond free access, DeepSeek has published a research paper detailing the development of R1, inviting other developers to replicate the process using their own training data. This openness has resonated strongly within the global AI community.
The AI Community Reacts
The release of the R1 model has generated significant buzz in the AI industry, eliciting impressed reactions from prominent figures:
- Marc Andreessen, venture capitalist and co-founder of Netscape, described DeepSeek R1 on X.com as \"one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs\" he has ever seen, calling it \"a profound gift to the world.\"
- Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas noted that \"DeepSeek has largely replicated OpenAI-o1-mini and has open-sourced it.\"
- Jim Fan, senior research manager at Nvidia, commended DeepSeek as a \"non-U.S. company\" upholding OpenAI's original mission of conducting \"truly open, frontier research that empowers all.\"
- Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist, emphasized that DeepSeek's success highlights how \"open-source models are surpassing proprietary ones.\"
- Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China, expressed vindication, stating that DeepSeek's releases validate his belief in China's potential to excel in generative AI engineering.
DeepSeek CEO Advocates for Chinese Innovation
In a July 2024 interview with 36kr.com, DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng emphasized the need for China to move beyond the stereotype of merely applying U.S. innovations. \"As our economy grows, we should transition into a global contributor to innovation rather than relying on the advancements of others,\" Liang stated.
Liang highlighted that innovation stems from genuine curiosity, not just the pursuit of business success. He revealed that the DeepSeek team is composed of young talent and that the development of the company's earlier V2 model did not involve any overseas Chinese contributors. \"Perhaps the top 50 talents in this field are not in China,\" Liang said. \"But we can cultivate our own.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
