DeepSeek Surpasses ChatGPT: Chinese AI App Tops iPhone Charts in China and U.S.
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 company launched its \"reasoning model,\" DeepSeek R1.
Revolutionizing AI Interaction with DeepThink Mode
With the activation of the \"DeepThink (R1)\" mode, DeepSeek enables users to view the application's \"thinking process\" before generating responses. This feature allows the AI to address complex logical and mathematical problems more effectively. According to DeepSeek's official website, the R1 model's performance is \"on par with\" OpenAI-o1, while its operational cost is approximately one-thirtieth of its competitor's.
Accessibility and Open Source Commitment
The mobile app and web chatbot are currently free for general users, with charges applied only for API calls utilized by programmers. Demonstrating a commitment to open-source principles, DeepSeek has made its full-size model available for free download, allowing users with adequate hardware to run the AI locally. For devices with less computing power, the company offers scaled-down versions optimized for various hardware capabilities.
In addition to providing free access to its models, DeepSeek has published a research paper detailing the development of R1. This transparency enables other developers to replicate the process using their own training data, fostering innovation within the AI community.
Global AI Community Reacts
The release of the R1 model has garnered significant attention and praise from prominent figures in the AI industry.
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.\"
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, noted that \"DeepSeek has largely replicated OpenAI-o1-mini and has open-sourced it.\"
Jim Fan, a senior research manager at Nvidia, commented that DeepSeek is upholding the 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 a sense of vindication, stating that the DeepSeek releases validate his belief in the potential to excel in generative AI engineering.
DeepSeek CEO Advocates for Innovation
In a July 2024 interview with 36kr.com, DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng emphasized the importance of moving beyond the stereotype of merely applying innovations developed elsewhere. He argued that as the economy grows, there should be a transition into becoming a global contributor to innovation rather than relying on the advancements of others.
Liang highlighted that innovation stems not only from the pursuit of business success but also from genuine curiosity. He revealed that the DeepSeek team comprises 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 here,\" Liang told 36kr.com. \"But we can cultivate our own.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
