What is DeepSeek AI, and Why Does it Matter?
Hey Everyone,
There has been a lot of news out in recent days about DeepSeek, a Chinese AI platform that’s been making big waves in the AI world. In fact, just yesterday it lead to the crash of many AI related stocks because of the fear that it could be the latest BIG competition to AI tech platforms like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Claude, Gemini, and Grok.
Whether you’ve heard about it or not, I’ll give you a rundown on what it offers, how it stacks up against ChatGPT, and why it is causing a stir in the AI world.
Let’s get into it.
What Is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek isn’t brand new—it first launched in November 2023 and has since gone through several updates:
- Version 2: Released in May 2024.
- Version 3: Released in December 2024.
One unique aspect of DeepSeek is its free model, which includes a DeepThink (R1) reasoning model and Internet search capabilities. This free version is being compared to ChatGPT’s Advanced Reasoning (o1 model).
How Does DeepSeek Compare to ChatGPT?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the similarities and limitations:
Strengths:
- DeepThink Model: Provides reasoning capabilities similar to ChatGPT’s o1 model.
- Free Internet Search: Integrates live web search functionality in its free tier.
Limitations:
- Fewer Features:
- No GPTs, custom workflows, tasks, or advanced features seen in ChatGPT.
- Limited API functionality compared to ChatGPT’s robust tools, but a fraction of the cost.
- Generative AI Images:
- DeepSeek doesn’t yet support image generation, a feature heavily integrated into ChatGPT.
- DeepSeek doesn’t yet support image generation, a feature heavily integrated into ChatGPT.
- Stability Issues:
- The platform is frequently overloaded due to high traffic, causing downtime and delays.
In my live test, DeepSeek struggled to complete a basic prompt, citing high traffic issues. In contrast, ChatGPT remains much more stable and reliable, even during peak usage times.
Is DeepSeek Worth Trying?
If you’re curious, DeepSeek is worth exploring to see how it compares to other AI platforms. However, there are key considerations:
- Traffic Problems: Expect delays and potential outages, especially as the platform gains popularity.
- Regulation Risks: As a Chinese platform, it may face regulatory hurdles in North America and Europe, similar to what TikTok has experienced and with the push for homegrown AI tech.
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Your Thoughts on DeepSeek?
Have you tried DeepSeek? What’s your take on it?
- Do you see it as a viable alternative to ChatGPT and other AI engines?
- Have you tired it and faced issues with its reliability?
Jump into the comments and share your thoughts, feedback and of course if you have any questions, feel free to drop them below as well.
Recent Comments
119
I checked our DeepSeek briefly, Kyle, and my experience was like yours - inconsistent and nowhere as responsive and robust as ChatGPT is.
Maybe I am biased because I have developed a strong relationship with ChatGPT and our own AI here at WA.
Like Rob, I will stick to those. 🙂
Cassi 🐛🦋
Yeah, I have since moved fully back to GPT. Deepseek was a good test, but I have way more features and "security" using GPT. They are very progressive, and they just released their o3-mini model yesterday which is very good!
Hi Kyle and thanks for the update and yes I created an account but as you've just explained the outages were constant, which has meant that I have not opened up my account in a while.
Cheers for the educational review and I'll be sticking with ChatGPT for now as I don't see any need to change.
Yeah, me too. It is too up and down, and I get a much more feature rich platform within GPT. There is a new one called Qwen (by AliBaba) that I am going to be testing in the coming week, that is apparently very good but also owned by a Chinese entity.
Thank you, Kyle! I have been seeing a lot about DeepSeek and I was wondering what all of the commotion was about. It sort of reminds me of TikTok when it comes to it being a Chinese creation and regulation will be applied to it.
I think I will stick to ChatGPT at this time and maybe going forward. But it is nice to know what DeepSeek is and how it compares to ChatGPT. Isn’t most AI here at WA based on ChatGPT?
Yeah, that is the thing Rob. You never know when it will be regulated, so you don't want to tie to much of your business and your day-to-day activities (and from our end, API) because that could come crashing down at any moment.
GPT Is definitely superior, and we leverage the OpenAI framework and appropriate models for our integrations here. It is still the best out there, and they have the best API accesses (and most stable) as well.
I understand the excitement around DeepSeek, but for me, the primary use for AI is in improving my writing. I rely on AI to help articulate my thoughts more effectively, but I always double-check any information it provides. What would really be a game changer for me is an AI that can generate images accurately, including correct spellings in those images.
Yeah, that is something that AI simply hasn't nailed yet, while it is good, it is not perfect by any means. We have integrated AI imagery coming to the author platform, so you can anticipate that coming your way in the weeks ahead. ;)
tried deepseek free cloud version. it is similar or maybe even better than 4o but this thing is being compared to 1o. For us just doing content it does not really matter. I am guessing the programming and math skills of these things is what is being compared. Where deepseek really shines is it is open source and was done with less money and less powerful chips, which means anyone can run a local version of this thing. I am looking for US companies who have installed such a version in western servers. I am assuming a hybrid local install that is brought to cloud is possible which means not CCP regulated. Deepseek free on cloud right now won’t answer political questions for example tiananmen square massacre (chatgpt gives answer instantly). so would you pay for claude and chatgpt or use deepseek for free (under chinese oversight)?
Just in case no one is aware another chinese model qwen is around. the chinese are really disrupting the ai world. if it is true i am really curious why openai is saying that ai needs billions and a lot of energy. china is supposed to be sanctioned so they are not getting the best nvidia chips.
Will be interesting to see. One thing to keep in mind though is that, as far as I am aware, the supposed costs of DeepSeek is something reported by the developers themselves. Would be interesting to get it confirmed because if it is true, it seems strange what the US companies claim it costs.
GPT still has a clear lead, and they are coming out with o3 mini (I believe today), which is their fastest reasoning model yet. So that puts them ahead, and I think people have a reluctance to tie themselves to any Chinese entity at this point or any point, out of fear of regulation and misuse of their data.
Read: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-spying-efforts-us-service-members-social-media/ Yeah I do think the deepseek apps have an ulterior motive. Because most people don't know what open source is and to benefit from that is to get the local install versions which you can run disconnected from the internet. CCP spies (in my opinion only) may be collecting a database of potential targets who may have sensitive information either in government or corporate if you are that type of individual please be really careful who you talk with since they will get in touch soon.
Thinking about it the past few days. Yes it is disruptive because they made it open source like firefox. But at the same time you can't help think if there is a specific reason they did it... could be a smoke screen for something else. So yes the company Deepseek could be heavily subsidized by the Chinese government and costs is under reported or they just copied and improved on what Openai did to work with what they have and got lucky. The general public might never know or find out. (Like the wuhan virus origin at this point it is in the realm of conspiracy theories.) With regards to engineers can't help think about Scotty from the show Star Trek Enterprise, where he constantly overestimate time I think the term is "Buffer Time". Basically he says he can do it in 8 hours but in reality it can be done in 2 hours. Maybe US companies want "Buffer Funding" plus if they "suddenly" go under budget they will look like magicians and stock prices will soar. Anyway Deepseek just took that away and we know what happened to stocks.
I will be checking this out for sure!
I am super shocked that we even have access to it at all! The USA is having internal issues like none other recently and our government has a lot to answer for, the type of censorship we have been enduring, secretly, is so North Korean that it is not even funny!
Oh crap, I got political, I would delete it, but it needs to be said lol.
On a positive note, I fully intend to dive deep into DeepSeek and see what I can come up with. Thanks for bringing this to light!
Stacie
Haha, it is hard not to get political sometimes. We have been sensored and that is the case with any app online (to a certain degree). It seem the veil is being lifted off and it will be interesting to see how USA and other countries will handle DeepSeek as the race to become the nation with the best and robust AI framework is on.
Check out DeepSeek, and see what you think. The free model is very good, and has web browsing capabilities.
It's very tough not to be political. I have to bite my tongue. The Bias is strong with this one. Simple questions and it changes the subject.
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Hi Kyle:
Thank you for the information on DeepSeek! I've heard about, but have not used it.
It's not a viable alternative to ChatGPT for me, and it's hard for me to keep up with trying out everything there is. However, I invest time to know what's new with AI.
Your sharing this was quite helpful for me.
Veron
Yeah, you don't need it. There is a lot of "mystery" with this platform, and many have pointed out that there is also a lot of built in censorship as well.
GPT is still way ahead of Deepseek, and they have just made their free version better to compete with platforms like this with their o3-mini model access (which is a deepthinking model).
Use GPT Veron, you will be just fine with it.