In a significant milestone for the AI industry, DeepSeek, a mobile AI application developed in the Chinese mainland, has surpassed OpenAI's ChatGPT to secure the top position on the iPhone free app charts in both China and the U.S. This achievement follows the recent launch of DeepSeek's \"reasoning model,\" DeepSeek R1.
The DeepSeek R1 model introduces a unique \"DeepThink (R1)\" mode, which allows users to view the app's reasoning process before it generates responses. This feature enhances the app's ability to handle complex logical and mathematical problems effectively. According to DeepSeek's official website, the R1 model performs comparably to OpenAI-o1 while maintaining operational costs at approximately 1/30th of its competitor.
DeepSeek offers its mobile app and web chatbot for free to general users, with only API calls for programmers requiring payment. Additionally, the company has made its full-size model available for free download, enabling users with adequate hardware to run it locally. For devices with lower performance capabilities, DeepSeek provides scaled-down versions of the model, optimized for a range of hardware from ultra-thin laptops to high-performance gaming rigs.
Beyond offering free access to its models, DeepSeek has published a research paper detailing the development of the R1 model. This publication allows other developers to replicate the process using their own training data, fostering a collaborative environment within the AI community.
The AI Community Reacts
The release of the R1 model has garnered attention and praise from several prominent figures in the AI sector.
Marc Andreessen, venture capitalist and co-founder of Netscape, lauded DeepSeek R1 on X.com, describing it as \"one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs\" he has witnessed. He further referred to it as \"a profound gift to the world.\"
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, noted on X.com that \"DeepSeek has largely replicated OpenAI-o1-mini and has open-sourced it,\" highlighting the model's accessibility and transparency.
Jim Fan, a senior research manager at Nvidia, commented that DeepSeek represents a \"non-U.S. company\" that upholds OpenAI's original mission of conducting \"truly open, frontier research that empowers all.\"
Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist, pointed out that DeepSeek's success underscores how \"open-source models are surpassing proprietary ones,\" rather than indicating that \"China is surpassing the U.S. in AI.\"
Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China, expressed a sense of vindication on X.com, stating that the DeepSeek releases validate his belief in the Chinese mainland's potential to excel in generative AI engineering, despite skepticism from others.
DeepSeek CEO: China as an Innovator
In a July 2024 interview with 36kr.com, DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng emphasized that the Chinese mainland must move beyond the stereotype of merely applying U.S. innovations. As the economy grows, he advocated for transitioning into a global contributor to innovation rather than relying on the advancements of others.
Liang highlighted that true innovation stems not only from the pursuit of business success but also from genuine curiosity. He also revealed that the DeepSeek team comprises 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 told 36kr.com. \"But we can cultivate our own.\"
At CGTN Digital, we are committed to staying on top of the latest advancements in AI. We will continue to cover these developments and provide informative summaries to keep you in the loop. We also encourage you to share your thoughts and engage in discussions about AI with our community. Let's keep the conversation going!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
