In a remarkable development, DeepSeek, a Chinese startup, has taken the lead in the world of artificial intelligence by surpassing ChatGPT to become the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store in the United States. The AI Assistant, powered by DeepSeek’s proprietary DeepSeek-V3 model, has made a significant impact, earning the top spot and stirring up attention in the global tech industry.
According to DeepSeek’s creators, their AI model “tops the leaderboard among open-source models and rivals the most advanced closed-source models globally,” cementing its position as a formidable player in the AI space. Since its launch on January 10, the application has gained remarkable popularity in the United States, with data from app research firm Sensor Tower showing a sharp rise in its adoption.
This achievement highlights the growing influence of DeepSeek in Silicon Valley, challenging long-held assumptions about the United States’ dominance in the AI sector. It also raises new questions about the effectiveness of the US government’s export controls, which have aimed to limit China’s access to advanced AI and chip technologies. These measures, implemented by the Biden administration since 2021, have sought to restrict Chinese firms from obtaining the cutting-edge chips needed to train powerful AI models.
Despite these restrictions, DeepSeek’s researchers revealed that the DeepSeek-V3 model was trained using Nvidia’s H800 chips, with a total training cost of less than $6 million. This revelation has stirred controversy, as the chips used by DeepSeek are less advanced than the high-end Nvidia products that the US government has sought to keep out of China. The relatively low cost of training the model has led US tech executives to question the effectiveness of the export controls designed to stifle China’s AI capabilities.
DeepSeek, founded in 2023 in Hangzhou, is a relatively small player in the tech world, yet it has managed to make waves in the AI field. The company was established shortly after Baidu, one of China’s tech giants, released the country’s first large-language AI model. Since then, a growing number of Chinese tech firms have released their own AI models, but DeepSeek has been the first to receive praise from the US tech community for matching or even surpassing the performance of America’s most advanced AI models.
The rapid rise of DeepSeek’s AI Assistant is a testament to the company’s innovative approach and its ability to compete with the world’s most prominent AI players. As the debate continues over the effectiveness of US export controls and China’s growing prowess in AI, DeepSeek’s success serves as a powerful reminder of the shifting dynamics in the global tech landscape.
With its AI Assistant now at the top of the US App Store, DeepSeek’s influence is likely to grow even further, signaling a new chapter in the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence.
