Until you’ve been residing below a rock for the previous couple of days, you’ll in all probability have heard of DeepSeek.
The synthetic intelligence (AI) app which is a rival and various to the likes of ChatGPT and Google Gemini has catapulted to worldwide consideration following the launch of its R1 AI mannequin on 20 January, spooking buyers and majorly crashing some US shares.
However what’s so good about DeepSeek particularly? Why has it triggered such a stir on this planet of AI? And the way can I begin utilizing it? All these questions and lots of extra are answered beneath.
What’s DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is the title of a brand new AI-powered chatbot created by an organization of the identical title.
That is what you’ll discover within the app which has stormed to the highest of the obtain charts on Apple’s App Retailer within the UK, US and China.
It’s underpinned by an AI giant language mannequin (LLM) referred to as R1, which has been educated on 670 million totally different variables, or parameters as they’re formally recognized.
The R1 mannequin is regarded as on par with Open AI’s O1 mannequin, utilized in ChatGPT, with regards to arithmetic, coding and reasoning.
Why is DeepSeek so well-liked?
The large attraction of DeepSeek is simply how reasonably priced it supposedly is – at the very least within the context of AI.
DeepSeek claims it solely price round $6 million (approx. £4.8 million) to construct, although some counsel that is an underestimate. Even so, it’s a far cry from the billions spent by US firms similar to Google, Microsoft and OpenAI to develop equal companies.
All this reputation hasn’t been with out its points for DeepSeek, although. On 27 January, the corporate was hit with a cyber assault that prompted it to briefly restrict registrations, although this has since been lifted.
Why has DeepSeek triggered US shares to fall?
DeepSeek has had a profound influence on the US inventory market, inflicting an estimated $1 trillion to be wiped off its worth within the area of some days.
DeepSeek’s potential to seemingly obtain the identical outcomes as US rivals with a a lot decrease price and fewer sources has spooked buyers, prompting many to promote their shares in AI firms.
It’s additionally prompted query marks about who’s truly main the worldwide AI race, with US President Donald Trump declaring it to be a “wake-up name”.
Is DeepSeek free?
Sure! DeepSeek is free for anybody to make use of.
All that’s required is entry to a cell gadget or internet browser and a secure web connection.
Is DeepSeek obtainable within the UK?
Sure. DeepSeek is on the market around the globe, together with the UK, US and China.
The place can you utilize DeepSeek?
DeepSeek might be downloaded as a free app on Apple’s App Retailer and the Google Play Retailer.
A extra primary internet model can also be obtainable on the DeepSeek web site. Head to the positioning, hit ‘Begin Now’ and you may make use of DeepSeek-V3, the most recent model on the time of writing.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Nonetheless, wherever you determine to entry DeepSeek, you’ll want to enroll in a free account earlier than you can begin utilizing it or you’ll be able to log in with a Google account.
What can DeepSeek do?
DeepSeek AI can do just about every little thing the likes of ChatGPT and Google Gemini can do.
It really works in a lot the identical method – simply kind out a question or ask about any picture or doc that you just add.
Once we requested DeepSeek for particular examples of what it might probably do, it talked about answering questions, explaining ideas, aiding with writing, fixing mathematical issues, offering suggestions and providing studying help.
In different phrases, a lot the identical as different AI chatbots, albeit at a fraction of the value and with a lot fewer sources used.
DeepSeek’s final purpose is similar as different large AI firms – synthetic normal intelligence. That is one other method of claiming intelligence that’s on par with a human, although nobody has achieved this but.
Is DeepSeek a Chinese language firm?
Sure. DeepSeek was based in Hangzhou, China the place it’s nonetheless based mostly.
Mother or father firm Excessive-Flyer can also be Chinese language, although it’s registered within the metropolis of Ningbo.
Is DeepSeek a startup?
Sure. DeepSeek was based in Might 2023 by Lian Wenfeng.
Nonetheless, it’s owned and backed by hedge fund firm Excessive-Flyer, which Wenfeng additionally co-founded. That agency was established in 2015, so it’s a bit older.
Is DeepSeek protected?
Sure, offered you’re cautious with what data you disclose. Specialists who spoke to The Guardian cautioned towards revealing any private data, merely since you don’t know the place it goes.
The corporate itself says any private data collected from customers is saved “on safe servers positioned within the Folks’s Republic of China”, that means it’s additionally topic to the Chinese language authorities’s guidelines.
Simply bear in mind, something you add to DeepSeek, or another generative AI service for that matter, can be utilized by the corporate to coach its AI or for different functions.