DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. (referred to as “DeepSeek” or “深度求索”) is a newly established company focused on the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). It was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng and is based in Hangzhou, China. The company is funded by a Chinese hedge fund called High-Flyer.
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What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is an AI development company headquartered in Hangzhou, China. It was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, a Zhejiang University graduate and co-founder of High-Flyer, a Chinese quantitative hedge fund that owns DeepSeek. While DeepSeek operates as an independent AI research lab, it remains under the High-Flyer umbrella. The company’s total funding and valuation have not been publicly revealed.
DeepSeek specializes in creating open-source large language models (LLMs). Its first AI model was launched in November 2023, followed by multiple improved versions. However, it gained global recognition in January 2025 after releasing the R1 reasoning model, which significantly enhanced its AI capabilities.
Facts About DeepSeek
- AI Model: DeepSeek-R1 is their main AI model. It can give responses similar to other big AI models like OpenAI’s GPT-4o.
- Cost-Effective: Training DeepSeek-R1 cost only $6 million, much less than OpenAI’s GPT-4, which cost $100 million. It also uses 10 times less computing power.
- Challenges: The U.S. has placed restrictions on China and India, making it harder for them to get Nvidia chips, which are important for training AI models.
- Success in the AI Market: On January 10, 2025, DeepSeek launched its free chatbot app for iOS and Android. By January 27, it became the most downloaded free app in the U.S., even beating ChatGPT. This caused Nvidia’s stock price to drop by 18%.
- Global Impact: Experts say DeepSeek is changing the AI industry and could lead to more competition worldwide.
- Open-Source AI: DeepSeek makes its AI models, code, and training details open to the public so that anyone can use, modify, or learn from them.
- Censorship: While the AI is open-source, the version available in China follows local government rules and restricts responses on sensitive topics like the Tiananmen Square incident and Taiwan.
- Hiring Strategy: DeepSeek actively recruits young AI researchers from top Chinese universities and even hires people from different fields to improve AI knowledge.
History of DeepSeek (Releases & Milestones)
| Date | Event/Model Version | Description |
|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2016 | AI Trading Begins | High-Flyer starts using a deep learning model running on GPU for stock trading. |
| 2019 | AI Trading Expansion | High-Flyer becomes a hedge fund specializing in AI-driven stock trading. |
| 2021 | Full AI Trading Adoption | High-Flyer transitions to fully AI-based trading and starts stockpiling Nvidia GPUs. |
| April 14, 2023 | AI Research Lab Launched | High-Flyer announces a new AI lab for developing general AI tools, separate from finance. |
| July 17, 2023 | DeepSeek Incorporated | DeepSeek is officially registered as a company with High-Flyer as its investor. |
| May 2024 | DeepSeek-V2 Released | An improved AI model with strong performance at a low cost, leading to a major price war in China’s AI market. |
| January 10, 2025 | DeepSeek-R1 Chatbot App Launched | Free chatbot app released for iOS and Android, quickly gaining popularity. |
| January 27, 2025 | Most Downloaded AI App | DeepSeek-R1 surpasses ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app in the U.S. iOS App Store. |
DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT
Comparing DeepSeek and ChatGPT involves looking at their goals, technologies, and applications. While both are rooted in artificial intelligence, they serve different purposes and operate in distinct domains. Here’s a concise comparison of DeepSeek and ChatGPT in tabular format for easy understanding:
| Aspect | DeepSeek | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) | Provide Narrow AI for text-based tasks |
| Technology | Advanced, interdisciplinary (e.g., deep learning, neuroscience) | GPT architecture (e.g., GPT-3.5/4) |
| Capabilities | Generalization across diverse tasks | Task-specific text generation and conversation |
| Applications | Scientific research, complex problem-solving, autonomous systems | Customer service, content creation, education, coding |
| Current Status | Early-stage research (founded in 2023) | Publicly available and widely used |
| Ethical Concerns | AGI safety, alignment, and control | Misinformation, bias, and misuse |
How to Use DeepSeek?
DeepSeek provides open-source AI models, which means anyone can use, modify, and integrate them into their applications. Here’s how you can use DeepSeek effectively:
Use DeepSeek’s Online Chatbot
DeepSeek has a chatbot application that is available for free on iOS and Android.
- You can download the DeepSeek-R1 chatbot from the App Store or Google Play.
- Ask questions, generate text, and interact with AI just like ChatGPT.
Access DeepSeek’s Open-Source Models
DeepSeek releases its models open-source, allowing developers and researchers to use them freely. Visit DeepSeek’s GitHub or the official website (https://www.deepseek.com) to find available models.
Conclusion
DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd. represents a bold step toward the future of AI. With its focus on AGI, the company is tackling one of the most ambitious challenges in technology today. While much about DeepSeek remains unknown, its mission to create machines with human-like intelligence has the potential to transform industries, advance scientific knowledge, and reshape society.
FAQs
Is DeepSeek better than ChatGPT?
The question of whether DeepSeek is better than ChatGPT depends on the specific use case and requirements. ChatGPT is known for its versatility, coherence, and ability to handle a wide range of tasks, from creative writing to technical problem-solving. It’s a popular choice for general-purpose applications. On the other hand, DeepSeek gained attention for its cost-efficiency and specialized capabilities, particularly in technical and reasoning tasks. It’s open-source, which allows developers to customize and adapt it to their specific needs.
Who is the owner of DeepSeek?
The owner of DeepSeek is High-Flyer Quantitative Investment Management, a Chinese hedge fund. DeepSeek was founded by Liang Wenfeng, who is also the co-founder and CEO of High-Flyer.
Is DeepSeek chat free to use?
Yes, DeepSeek chat is free to use! You can access DeepSeek’s AI chatbot without any charge. It’s available on both PC and mobile devices, and you can start using it immediately to handle various tasks like coding, content creation, and document analysis.
Is there a better AI than ChatGPT?
There isn’t a definitive answer to this question, as it depends on what you’re looking for in an AI. The “better” AI depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you need a general-purpose AI, ChatGPT might be the better choice. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option with strong technical capabilities, DeepSeek could be a great fit.
Is DeepSeek open source?
Yes, DeepSeek is open source. The underlying model architecture and model weights of DeepSeek’s R1 reasoning model are fully open-source and distributed under a permissive MIT license. This allows developers to download, modify, and reuse the model for free.