DeepSeek vs ChatGPT – The AI Face-Off

The rise of Chinese AI app DeepSeek has taken the financial markets by surprise and prompted US President Donald Trump to call it a “wake-up call” for the US tech industry. DeepSeek’s R1 AI model, developed at a fraction of the cost of its competitors, has raised questions about the future of the industry and caused major companies to lose value. Within just a week of its launch, DeepSeek became the most downloaded free app in the US.

But how does it stack up against established US AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini?

When tested on summarizing the best Scottish football players, DeepSeek quickly provided a top-ten list, complete with player positions, clubs, and achievements. ChatGPT also provided a similar list with a detailed blog post. In this case, DeepSeek performed similarly to ChatGPT, offering a concise summary of the players’ careers.

In coding, DeepSeek has impressed experts, with some even claiming it outperforms ChatGPT for solving complex problems. AI researcher Javier Aguirre noted that DeepSeek solved a tricky issue that even ChatGPT couldn’t handle, while Addy Osmani, Google’s Head of Chrome Developer Experience, praised DeepSeek’s cost-effectiveness and its ability to work well alongside Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet for hybrid coding.

When asked to brainstorm story ideas, ChatGPT provided a list of six ideas for a children’s story about a boy on the moon, while DeepSeek responded with a full 387-word story. Though simple, DeepSeek’s prompt delivery stood out.

In explaining complex historical topics, both DeepSeek and ChatGPT provided solid accounts of World War I, with Google’s Gemini assistant offering additional sources for further reading. DeepSeek’s summaries were more concise, but still comparable to its US counterparts.

These tests show that the race in AI innovation is far from over. While US companies have dominated the field, Chinese competitors like DeepSeek have proven that cutting-edge AI models can be developed at lower costs. Experts believe this is just the beginning, and future innovation could come from unexpected sources, echoing the historical example of James Watt, who improved upon the steam engine rather than inventing it.

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