DeepSeek, a mobile AI application developed by Chinese tech innovators, has surpassed OpenAI's ChatGPT to claim the top spot on the iPhone free app charts in both China and the United States. This remarkable achievement comes shortly after the launch of its new reasoning model, DeepSeek R1.
When users activate the \"DeepThink (R1)\" mode, DeepSeek displays its \"thinking process\" before generating responses, enabling it to tackle complex logical and mathematical problems. According to the company's official website, the R1 model's performance is \"on par with\" OpenAI-o1, while operating at approximately one-thirtieth of its rival's cost.
The mobile app and web chatbot are currently free for general use, with only API calls for programmers requiring payment. In a move to democratize AI technology, DeepSeek has made its full-size model available for free download, allowing users with sufficient hardware to run it locally. For those with less powerful devices, the company offers scaled-down versions of the model, optimized for a range of hardware from ultra-thin laptops to high-performance gaming rigs.
Additionally, DeepSeek has published a research paper detailing the development of R1, enabling other developers to replicate the process using their own training data. This open approach has been lauded by many in the AI community.
The AI Community Reacts
The release of the R1 model has resonated throughout the AI industry, drawing impressed reactions from prominent figures.
Marc Andreessen, venture capitalist and co-founder of Netscape, described DeepSeek R1 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,\" highlighting the significance of DeepSeek's contribution to open-source AI development.
Jim Fan, a senior research manager at Nvidia, praised DeepSeek as a company that is upholding the mission of conducting \"truly open, frontier research that empowers all.\"
Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist, emphasized that DeepSeek's success underscores how \"open-source models are surpassing proprietary ones.\"
Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China, expressed a sense of vindication, stating that DeepSeek's accomplishments validate his belief in China's potential to excel in generative AI engineering.
Championing Innovation: Insights from DeepSeek's CEO
In a July 2024 interview with 36kr.com, DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng emphasized the importance of China moving beyond the stereotype of merely applying innovations from the United States. As the country's economy grows, Liang argued, it should transition into a global contributor to innovation, driven by genuine curiosity and a commitment to advancement.
Liang 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 contributors. \"Perhaps the top 50 talents in this field are not in China,\" Liang acknowledged. \"But we can cultivate our own.\"
He stressed that innovation is not solely about pursuing business success but is rooted in a deeper quest for knowledge and progress.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
