In January 2025, DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup founded in 2023, has gained significant popularity. Just like Instagram’s latest grid size update shook the internet, Deepseek has managed to grab attention across the tech industry with the launch of its AI models. Let’s dive into what makes Deepseek so revolutionary and explore the key factors driving its disruption.
Table of contents:
Who Owns Deepseek?
Deepseek is owned by Liang Wenfeng, a prominent tech figure and co-founder of the quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer. Based in Hangzhou, China, Deepseek operates under Liang’s leadership. The company’s development has strong ties to its hedge fund, which has ventured beyond traditional trading to focus on AI research. While High-Flyer’s exact financial commitment to Deepseek remains unclear, the company’s corporate records reveal that it has invested in AI technology, including chips crucial for Deepseek’s advancements.
Who Is Behind Deepseek?
The mastermind behind Deepseek’s rise is Liang Wenfeng, who, after transitioning from hedge fund management to AI research, founded Deepseek to focus on creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). AGI refers to systems that surpass human capabilities in the most economically valuable tasks. Liang’s vision for Deepseek is not just to compete with existing AI models but to pave the way for new, independent research that challenges the current AI powerhouses. This ambitious pursuit has attracted significant attention, including from political and business leaders in China.
The team behind Deepseek is made up of a mix of seasoned AI professionals, researchers, and entrepreneurs, many of whom have prior experience in leading tech firms. They are developing some of the most advanced models in AI today, including Deepseek-V3 and Deepseek-R1, both of which have received praise from global tech experts for their capabilities. These models are seen as on the same level or even surpassing the best offerings from companies like OpenAI and Meta, making Deepseek one of the most exciting startups in the AI sector.
How Does Beijing View Deepseek?
Deepseek’s rise has not gone unnoticed in China’s political circles. The company has already caught the eye of high-ranking government officials, signaling that Beijing views Deepseek as a key player in the nation’s ambitions to become a global leader in AI technology. On January 20, 2025, founder Liang Wenfeng attended a closed-door symposium for business and tech leaders hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang. This appearance was seen as a sign that Deepseek’s success aligns with China’s broader policy goals of achieving technological self-sufficiency and reducing reliance on Western countries for advanced technology.
The Chinese government’s stance on AI is strategic and forward-thinking. With ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China, especially regarding export controls on sensitive technologies, Deepseek’s ability to develop cutting-edge AI models at a fraction of the cost of its American competitors positions it as a potential tool for Beijing’s push to break free from these technological constraints. In this context, Deepseek’s success is viewed as a victory for China’s AI ambitions and as a step toward achieving independence in critical industries.
ChatGPT vs Deepseek AI: The Battle of AI Giants
General Knowledge and Factual Accuracy
When it comes to answering general knowledge questions, ChatGPT demonstrates a strong grasp of a wide range of topics, providing well-structured and comprehensive answers. However, it occasionally struggles with fact-checking, sometimes generating responses that require verification.
DeepSeek AI, on the other hand, excels in accuracy, especially in domains requiring high precision. It is particularly strong in retrieving up-to-date factual information and often outperforms ChatGPT in providing direct and error-free answers.
Creativity and Writing Skills
For creative tasks such as storytelling, poetry, and content writing, ChatGPT delivers natural and engaging responses. It produces high-quality narratives with fluid language, making it a preferred choice for writers and marketers.
While DeepSeek AI is competent in writing, it prefers structured and straightforward content. It lacks the creative flair of ChatGPT but compensates with precise and well-organized responses, making it more suitable for formal writing.
Mathematics and Logical Reasoning
For creative tasks such as storytelling, poetry, and content writing, ChatGPT delivers natural and engaging responses. It produces high-quality narratives with fluid language, making it a preferred choice for writers and marketers.
While DeepSeek AI is competent in writing, it prefers structured and straightforward content. It lacks the creative flair of ChatGPT but compensates with precise and well-organized responses, making it more suitable for formal writing.
Coding and Programming Assistance
For developers, both AI models offer substantial coding assistance. ChatGPT provides clear explanations and can debug code effectively, making it a useful companion for beginners and experienced programmers alike.
DeepSeek AI, however, surpasses ChatGPT in terms of coding efficiency. It generates optimized code snippets, handles complex programming queries with precision, and offers more reliable syntax and logic, making it a stronger tool for advanced coding tasks.
Speed and Response Time
In terms of response time, DeepSeek AI has a slight edge. It processes queries quickly and delivers concise answers with minimal delay.
ChatGPT, while generally fast, sometimes takes longer to generate responses, especially for more detailed or multi-step queries. However, its conversational depth and context retention often make up for the delay.
Cost and Accessibility
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DeepSeek AI is designed to be cost-effective, offering high-end AI capabilities at a fraction of the price compared to competitors. This makes it a more attractive choice for businesses and developers looking for budget-friendly AI solutions.
ChatGPT, while powerful, operates under a premium model for advanced features, requiring subscriptions for access to its most capable versions. While it provides a great user experience, the cost factor makes DeepSeek AI a more economical alternative.
Which AI Model Wins?
The choice between ChatGPT and DeepSeek AI depends on user needs and priorities. If you’re looking for a highly creative, conversational AI that excels in content generation, customer support, and marketing copy, ChatGPT remains the superior option. It is designed to generate engaging, human-like responses and is widely used for writing, brainstorming, and interactive conversations.
On the other hand, if your primary focus is on technical tasks such as coding, data analysis, and cost-effective AI solutions, DeepSeek AI takes the lead. It is tailored for structured outputs, problem-solving, and efficiency, making it a strong choice for developers and businesses looking for AI-driven automation.
Both models have their strengths, excelling in their respective domains. Rather than a clear winner, the best choice comes down to what you need from an AI assistant in the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.
What’s Next for Deepseek?
As Deepseek continues to grow, its potential impact on the AI sector cannot be overstated. The company has already surpassed ChatGPT in terms of user ratings, securing the top spot for free apps on the Apple App Store in the U.S. This success is a strong indicator that Deepseek’s models are resonating with users and developers alike, who are eager to take advantage of the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the technology.
With backing from powerful investors, including Liang’s hedge fund, and support from China’s government, Deepseek is poised to become a major player in the global AI race. As the company continues to refine its models and expand its applications, it could very well challenge the dominance of Western AI firms, forcing them to rethink their strategies and business models.
Moreover, the geopolitical implications of Deepseek’s success could lead to new regulatory challenges and shifts in the global tech landscape. The tension between the U.S. and China over AI and other cutting-edge technologies is likely to intensify as Deepseek continues to push the boundaries of what AI can do.
frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Which AI model is better for general knowledge and fact-checking?
DeepSeek AI tends to provide more accurate and up-to-date factual information, making it a stronger choice for fact-checking. ChatGPT, while knowledgeable, sometimes generates responses that require verification.
Which AI is better for creative writing?
ChatGPT excels in creative writing, storytelling, and generating engaging content. DeepSeek AI, while structured and precise, lacks the same level of creativity and fluidity in its writing style.
Is DeepSeek AI more cost-effective than ChatGPT?
Yes, DeepSeek AI is designed to be a more affordable alternative, offering high-end AI capabilities at a lower cost. ChatGPT requires a subscription for access to its most advanced features.
Which AI model is better for coding and programming tasks?
DeepSeek AI has a slight edge in coding efficiency, producing optimized code snippets and handling complex programming queries more effectively than ChatGPT. However, ChatGPT remains a great tool for debugging and explaining code.
Which AI model is faster in generating responses?
DeepSeek AI generally provides quicker and more concise answers, especially for technical and factual queries. ChatGPT, while sometimes slower, offers more depth and context in its responses.
