A Chinese AI research lab, DeepSeek, has recently launched an artificial intelligence app that's making waves across the globe and turning the AI landscape on its head. But what exactly is DeepSeek, and why is everyone in the tech world suddenly paying attention?
DeepSeek is a Chinese AI research lab that is similar to OpenAI. What sets DeepSeek apart from other AI companies is its commitment to open-sourcing its models, allowing anyone to use them for commercial purposes. One of their recent AI models, DeepSeek-R1, has generated excitement due to its modified version of the DeepSeek-V3 model. This model has been trained to reason using "chain-of-thought," a technique that allows the model to show its work by explicitly reasoning out the prompt before answering.
There are two main reasons why DeepSeek has captured the tech world's attention:
According to Michael Albert, an AI and computing expert at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, DeepSeek-R1 represents an incremental advancement in training efficiency rather than a fundamental breakthrough in AI technology.
The U.S. has been attempting to control AI development by limiting the availability of powerful computing chips to countries like China. However, if AI can be developed cheaply and efficiently, how will this affect America's dominance in the technology?
DeepSeek has demonstrated that previous training methods may have been somewhat inefficient. While this does not mean that China will automatically dominate the U.S. in AI technology, increased efficiency would allow U.S. companies to train the next round of models more efficiently and achieve even better performance.
Efficiency improvements in AI benefit everyone. The release of cutting-edge, open-source models allows smaller companies and startups to compete with big tech companies, fostering innovation and better AI products for all. While tech giants may face increased competition, ultimately, users benefit from more advanced and accessible intelligence. The real value, however, lies in the end-use cases and big tech companies still have advantages in terms of access to platforms and data.
While DeepSeek's emergence has undoubtedly stirred the pot, it underscores a critical point: innovation in AI is not solely dependent on massive financial investments. Efficient engineering practices and open-source collaboration can drive significant progress, leveling the playing field and paving the way for a more democratized and competitive AI landscape.
