In the world of artificial intelligence, a new player is quickly rising to prominence and destabilizing the market: DeepSeek, a Chinese startup that, with its cutting-edge AI model, is threatening the established power of American tech giants. Founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng and supported by the powerful Hangzhou-based hedge fund High-Flyer, DeepSeek has experienced a rapid rise, culminating in the launch of its DeepSeek-R1 model in early 2025.
An Economical Yet Powerful AI Model
What makes DeepSeek truly revolutionary is its ability to provide advanced technological solutions at a remarkably low cost. While American companies rely on expensive chips and complex infrastructure, DeepSeek has developed a system based on more affordable technologies that do not compromise performance. The DeepSeek-R1 model is capable of handling complex tasks such as mathematical reasoning and code generation, using advanced learning techniques that enable the model to operate almost autonomously.
The startup has claimed that the creation of this AI model cost less than $6 million and took only two months to develop—well below the substantial sums invested by other major players in the sector. With these figures, DeepSeek has shaken the markets, causing a stir on Wall Street and affecting the stock value of tech giants.
Success in the United States and Competition with ChatGPT
The speed with which DeepSeek has become popular in the United States has surprised many analysts. Its free app has quickly climbed the rankings, surpassing ChatGPT as the most downloaded app on iPhone. The growing spread of the app has demonstrated the effectiveness of the Chinese AI model, capable of generating precise and articulate responses based on information gathered from the web, with one key feature: transparency of reasoning. Every time DeepSeek provides an answer, the model explains the steps it followed, giving users a clear view of its decision-making process.
Concerns Over Censorship and Political Boundaries
However, controversy has not been absent. Several tests have shown that when DeepSeek is asked about politically sensitive topics, such as delicate historical events, the model tends to offer evasive answers or conform to the official narrative of the Chinese government. This has fueled concerns about the potential for integrated censorship mechanisms within the AI, designed to comply with the Communist Party's guidelines.
This feature has raised questions not only about the impartiality of the model but also about the possibility of using AI as a tool for controlling and manipulating information. The control over responses provided by the AI on sensitive topics, such as the Tiananmen Square protests, has led to speculations about the strategic use of technology to promote official thought and limit access to non-compliant information.
A Changing World
DeepSeek is not just a success story; it also symbolizes the growing power of China in technological innovation, challenging the dominance of Western powers in the field of artificial intelligence. With an economical, powerful model that can offer advanced solutions at a significantly lower cost than its American counterparts, the Chinese startup is preparing to write a new chapter in the history of global technology, challenging the traditional market hierarchies.
In a sector where major companies are vying for technological leadership, DeepSeek is the signal of a change that could redefine the landscape of artificial intelligence in the coming years.
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