DeepSeek-R1: A Deep Dive into the Open-Source AI Model Matching OpenAI's Performance

The world of AI is constantly evolving, with new models and updates emerging regularly. A recent noteworthy release is DeepSeek-R1, an open-source AI model developed by DeepSeek AI. Launched on January 20, 2025, DeepSeek-R1 is making waves with its impressive capabilities and open-source accessibility. This article explores what makes DeepSeek-R1 a significant player in the AI landscape.

What is DeepSeek-R1?

DeepSeek-R1 is a large language model (LLM) designed to perform on par with models like OpenAI's o1. What sets it apart is its commitment to open-source principles. The code and models are released under the MIT License, allowing for free distribution and commercialization. This fosters innovation and collaboration within the AI community.

Key Features and Benefits

• Performance: Competes with OpenAI-o1, making it a powerful alternative in the open-source arena.
• Open-Source: Released under the MIT License, promoting accessibility and innovation.
• Distilled Models: Six small models distilled from DeepSeek-R1 are fully open-sourced.
• Scalability: 32B and 70B parameter models available, rivalling the performance of OpenAI-o1-mini.
• License Update: MIT licensed for clear open access, enabling leveraging of model weights and outputs by the community.
• Versatile Use Cases: API outputs can be used for fine-tuning and distillation

Technical Highlights

DeepSeek-R1 incorporates several key technical advancements:

• Large-Scale RL in Post-Training: Utilizes reinforcement learning for significant performance improvements with minimal labeled data.
• Exceptional Reasoning Capabilities: Excels in math, code, and reasoning tasks, rivaling OpenAI-o1. More details can be found in the technical report

How to Access and Use DeepSeek-R1?

You can access DeepSeek-R1 via the DeepSeek API. To use the model, set the model parameter to deepseek-reasoner.

Pricing:

• $0.14 / million input tokens (cache hit)
• $0.55 / million input tokens (cache miss)
• $2.19 / million output tokens

For a detailed guide on how to use the API, refer to the Reasoning Model API Guide.

Here's an example of how DeepSeek-R1 can be used to access JSON Output, and how to use the Function calling feature.

Bonus: Open-Source Distilled Models!

DeepSeek AI has also released six small models that are distilled from DeepSeek-R1! These have been fully open-sourced and offer the following functionalities:

• 32B & 70B models on par with OpenAI-o1-mini:
• Empowering the open-source community
• Pushing the boundaries of open AI!

Conclusion

DeepSeek-R1 represents a significant step forward in the open-source AI community. Its performance, coupled with its permissive licensing, makes it an attractive option for developers and researchers looking to leverage state-of-the-art AI capabilities. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, DeepSeek-R1 is poised to be a valuable resource for driving innovation and collaboration.

Consider exploring other releases from DeepSeek AI, such as the DeepSeek-V3 or the DeepSeek-R1-Lite for different use scenarios.

Stay updated by following DeepSeek AI on Twitter and GitHub.