DeepSeek, a mobile AI application developed by a Chinese company, has surged past OpenAI's ChatGPT to claim the top position on the iPhone free app charts in both China and the United States. This significant achievement comes shortly after the company released its latest reasoning model, DeepSeek R1.
When users activate the \"DeepThink (R1)\" mode, the app showcases its \"thinking process\" before delivering responses, enabling it to address complex logical and mathematical problems. According to DeepSeek'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 available for free general use, with only API calls for programmers requiring payment. In a move toward openness, DeepSeek has made its full-size model available for free download, allowing users with adequate hardware to run it locally. For those with less powerful devices, the company offers scaled-down versions optimized for various hardware configurations, from ultra-thin laptops to high-performance gaming rigs.
Furthermore, DeepSeek has published a research paper detailing the development of the R1 model, enabling other developers to replicate the process using their own training data.
The AI Community Reacts
The release of the R1 model has garnered significant attention in the AI industry, drawing 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.\"
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, noted on X.com that \"DeepSeek has largely replicated OpenAI-o1-mini and has open-sourced it.\"
Jim Fan, a senior research manager at Nvidia, remarked that DeepSeek is 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,\" rather than signifying any particular country surpassing another in AI.
Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China, expressed a sense of validation, stating that the DeepSeek releases affirm his belief in the potential for China to excel in generative AI engineering despite skepticism.
DeepSeek CEO on Innovation
In a July 2024 interview with 36kr.com, DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng emphasized the importance of China moving beyond the stereotype of merely applying foreign innovations. He asserted that as the country's economy grows, it should become a global contributor to innovation rather than relying on advancements from elsewhere.
Liang highlighted that innovation stems from genuine curiosity in addition to 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 told 36kr.com. \"But we can cultivate our own.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
