The real reason behind the DeepSeek hype, according to AI experts

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🗞️ Driving the news: Chinese AI startup DeepSeek (see sustainability performance) has disrupted the tech industry with its R1 model, which claims to rival OpenAI (see sustainability performance)’s o1 at a fraction of the cost
• The model briefly overtook ChatGPT as the top app in Apple’s App Store, sparking concerns about America’s AI leadership
• US officials and tech giants like Microsoft and Apple have acknowledged DeepSeek’s innovations while raising questions about its methods and potential security risks

🔭 The context: DeepSeek’s R1 model stands out for its reasoning capabilities and partially open-source approach, allowing researchers to analyze its thought process
• Some experts, including OpenAI, suspect that DeepSeek may have trained its model using proprietary US data
• US lawmakers are already pushing for restrictions, citing national security concerns similar to those surrounding TikTok

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: DeepSeek’s cost-efficient AI development could accelerate the democratization of AI, making advanced models more accessible and sustainable
• However, ethical and security concerns surrounding AI data usage and national interests may slow down global collaboration in AI advancements
• The ongoing AI race could also impact regulations, energy consumption, and technological sovereignty

⏭️ What's next: AI leaders expect DeepSeek’s influence to trigger more innovation in reasoning-based AI models, potentially shaping the next generation of chatbots and digital assistants
• Companies like Microsoft (see sustainability performance) and Qualcomm (see sustainability performance) are already integrating AI models derived from DeepSeek R1 into their products
• However, experts predict that within a year, a new breakthrough may overshadow DeepSeek’s current dominance

💬 One quote: "DeepSeek is the TikTok of (large language models).” — Oren Etzioni, former CEO of the Allen Institute for AI

📈 One stat: DeepSeek claims it trained its model for just $5.6 million, a fraction of the cost of similar high-performing AI models

See here detailed sustainability performances of DeepSeek, OpenAI, Microsoft and Qualcomm

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