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DeepSeek: The Chinese AI Startup Disrupting the Global Tech Industry

Published Date: January 31, 2025
DeepSeek: The Chinese AI Startup Disrupting the Global Tech Industry

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has taken the world by storm, shaking up the global tech industry in ways not many anticipated. In just a short span, it has emerged as a challenger to OpenAI, raising eyebrows in Silicon Valley and across the world. What makes DeepSeek’s rise even more astonishing? It has the ability to deliver cutting-edge AI models while operating with significantly fewer resources. Despite using far fewer NVIDIA chips than OpenAI’s ChatGPT, DeepSeek AI has proven to be incredibly powerful, efficient, and cost-effective.

Its impact is already visible—US tech stocks have taken a hit, and the AI industry is experiencing a shift in strategy. DeepSeek is not only redefining AI development but also reshaping business models in the sector. 

What is DeepSeek? Understanding its Meteoric Rise

DeepSeek AI has quickly established itself as a leading name in artificial intelligence, drawing comparisons with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. What truly sets it apart is its approach. Unlike its Western counterparts, which require billions of dollars in funding and massive GPU clusters, DeepSeek has managed to create an efficient and competitive AI model with significantly fewer resources.

Investors and analysts are watching closely as the startup’s growth has already begun affecting market dynamics. Nvidia’s stock, which has soared due to the demand for AI chips, saw a dip as analysts started questioning whether massive GPU investments are still necessary. DeepSeek’s efficiency-first approach is proving that AI development doesn’t have to be as resource-intensive as previously thought.

Impact on OpenAI and Market Dynamics

The rise of DeepSeek has put OpenAI in a difficult position. OpenAI has enjoyed almost uncontested leadership in the AI industry for years, thanks to its groundbreaking ChatGPT. However, DeepSeek’s cost-efficient model has disrupted this dominance, forcing OpenAI and other companies to rethink their spending strategies. DeepSeek has demonstrated impressive performance on benchmark tests like MMLU (Massive Multitask Language Understanding), proving its capability in diverse knowledge areas.

Moreover, OpenAI’s stock valuation has taken a hit as investors recognize that competition is growing. The arrival of an AI model that can match or even surpass ChatGPT while being significantly cheaper to develop has raised concerns about the sustainability of OpenAI’s business model. Could DeepSeek force OpenAI and other AI companies to rethink their financial strategies?

Topping the App Store Charts

DeepSeek has also achieved something that no other AI chatbot has—it became the number-one selling app on the App Store in record time. Users are turning to DeepSeek not just for its affordability but for its versatility and performance. Whether for coding, content creation, research, or casual conversations, DeepSeek AI delivers results that have impressed even long-time ChatGPT users. The rapid adoption of the app shows that people are willing to explore alternatives if they offer value, and DeepSeek has nailed the formula.

Cost-effective Development with Fewer Resources

One of the most remarkable aspects of DeepSeek’s success is its efficient use of resources. Unlike OpenAI, which required billions in funding and massive computing power, DeepSeek has achieved similar capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

How Is DeepSeek So Efficient?

  • Fewer NVIDIA GPUs – Unlike OpenAI, which has relied heavily on expensive GPU clusters, DeepSeek has optimized its models to run with fewer chips while maintaining performance.
  • Smarter Data Utilization – DeepSeek’s AI model processes data more efficiently, requiring less computational power to train and run.
  • Cost-Conscious Development – By leveraging China’s AI research ecosystem, DeepSeek has minimized overhead costs without compromising on innovation.

This efficiency challenges the existing belief that AI development requires enormous investments in infrastructure. If DeepSeek’s model proves to be sustainable, it could change how AI startups operate in the future.

Embracing Open-source Principles

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of DeepSeek AI is its commitment to open-source development. Unlike OpenAI’s proprietary models, DeepSeek has made its AI freely available to developers worldwide.

This move is a game-changer for the AI industry. By allowing developers to build upon and improve their models, DeepSeek is encouraging collaboration and innovation. This could lead to faster advancements in AI and a more inclusive, community-driven approach to AI research.

Why Is Open-source AI Important?

  • Greater Transparency: Unlike black-box models, open-source AI allows developers to understand how the model works.
  • Faster Innovation: Open-source models benefit from contributions from researchers worldwide, leading to quicker improvements.
  • Democratization of AI: Instead of being controlled by a few big companies, AI development becomes accessible to everyone.

By choosing open-source, DeepSeek is making a bold statement: AI should be accessible to all, not just corporations with billion-dollar budgets.

Who Developed DeepSeek?

DeepSeek was developed by Liang Wenfeng, a former hedge fund entrepreneur turned AI innovator. With a background in machine learning and quantitative investment, Liang’s expertise in optimization and efficiency has been instrumental in shaping DeepSeek’s AI models.

Unlike OpenAI, which relies on massive funding rounds, DeepSeek was developed with a startup mentality, focusing on results rather than extravagant spending. Liang’s philosophy is clear: build AI that works smarter, not just bigger.

DeepSeek’s AI Models: R1 and V3

DeepSeek’s AI models have been making headlines for their efficiency and power.

  • DeepSeek R1:
    A highly optimized AI model that delivers ChatGPT-level performance using significantly fewer resources.
  • DeepSeek V3:
    The latest iteration, with even more refined capabilities, promising better speed and accuracy with lower computational costs.

How to Use DeepSeek R1 and Run It Locally?

For users looking to experiment with DeepSeek R1, the process is straightforward. Since the model is open-source, developers can download and run it locally without relying on cloud-based infrastructure.

Steps to Run DeepSeek R1 Locally:

  • Download the Model: Access DeepSeek R1 from GitHub or an official repository.
  • Set Up Dependencies: Install the required libraries and framework.
  • Optimize for Hardware: Since DeepSeek R1 is designed for efficiency, it can run on standard GPU setups.
  • Test and Customize: Developers can tweak the model to fit their specific needs.

DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT: The Best AI for Marketers?

AI is changing the game for SEO, performance marketing, and creative strategy. ChatGPT dominates with versatility and integrations, but DeepSeek is shaking things up—offering high-precision results at a fraction of the cost. Is it the smarter choice for content, campaigns, and data-driven marketing? Let’s break it down.

As a marketer, the real question is:  

  • Which AI model helps you generate better marketing content?  
  • Which tool provides deeper insights, SEO advantages, and audience engagement?  
  • Which AI should your business invest in?  

This document compares ChatGPT and DeepSeek from a marketing perspective, analyzing their capabilities, limitations, and potential applications in content marketing, SEO, customer engagement, and advertising. 

ChatGPT vs. DeepSeek: Which One Is Better?

A major debate in the AI community is ChatGPT vs. DeepSeek. Which one is truly better?

Feature
Developer OpenAI DeepSeek AI (China)
Model Versions GPT-3, GPT-3.5, GPT-4 DeepSeek-R1, DeepSeek-V3
Development Cost Over $100 million, uses advanced NVIDIA GPUs and high-end resources Around $6 million, developed with fewer and less powerful AI chips
Open Source LLM ❌ No (proprietary, closed-source) ✅ Yes (DeepSeek-R1 and DeepSeek-V3 are open-source and available on GitHub)
Accessibility Web browser, mobile apps (iOS, Android), API, Free & Pro plans Mobile apps, desktop websites, API, free to use
GPU Requirement High, requiring expensive NVIDIA A100/H100 GPUs Low, designed to run efficiently on lower-end hardware
Performance Advanced, excels in NLP, reasoning, and creativity Competitive, strong in logic, coding, and mathematical reasoning
Reasoning Accuracy Strong but sometimes generates factually incorrect or verbose responses Excels in logic-heavy tasks, particularly in mathematical and coding-related queries
Memory Function ✅ Yes, remembers past interactions (in Pro versions) ❌ No memory functionality
Web Search ✅ Yes, it offers web integration for real-time data ✅ Yes, but limited during high-traffic periods
Voice Interaction ✅ Yes, it supports Advanced Voice Mode for conversation ❌ No voice interaction support
API Pricing $3–$15 per million tokens, depending on the model $0.48 per million tokens (significantly cheaper than ChatGPT)
Subscription Fee Free version available, but GPT-4 requires payment Completely free for public use
While ChatGPT has the advantage of maturity, DeepSeek is proving that AI can be cheaper, faster, and open-source.

Performance Test: The Same Prompt Given to ChatGPT & DeepSeek  

We gave the same prompts to both models on SEO, Paid Media Marketing, and social media. The AdLift team analyzed the responses, and the results are really interesting!

ChatGPT vs. DeepSeek: Which AI is Better for Specific Marketing Needs?

 

Social Media & Copywriting  

Winner: Chatgpt  

Deepseek had the edge when it came to audience segmentation. But Chatgpt was the clear winner when it came to campaign ideation and copy. Chatpgt went into more detail and showed a deeper understanding of the task at hand. Here are the responses to various prompts that were given to both ChatGPT and DeepSeek.

Prompt: Suggest captions that build excitement and generate interest to launch my product, reflective dog collars, on social media. 

 

 

Prompt: Create platform-specific suggestions for creatives for my product launch 

 

 

Prompt: Ideate a complete campaign that will increase my Instagram followers. Here is my Instagram handle https://www.instagram.com/_jojo_doggie/

 

SEO & Keyword Research  

Winner:  DeepSeek  

DeepSeek provides a comprehensive analysis by suggesting various keyword categories, types, intent, and competition levels. In contrast, ChatGPT offers a list of 10 keywords along with their search volume and difficulty. Additionally, DeepSeek creates detailed keyword clusters for better strategic implementation.  Here are the prompts we gave both ChatGPT and Deepseek.

 

Prompt: Give me 5 semantically relevant but unique topics under the main category of ‘keto diet.’

 

 

Prompt: Using ‘SaaS SEO’ as the central seed keyword, identify 5 long-tail keywords that potential customers might use when they look for SaaS SEO Services.

 

 

Prompt: Group these keywords into clusters based on intent

 

 

Conduct a content competitor analysis of these two blogs https://ahrefs.com/free-seo-tools and https://moz.com/free-seo-tools  

 

 

 

Prompt : Can you do the keyword clustering for the suggest keywords? 

 

 

Performance Marketing

Winner:  ChatGPT  

ChatGPT not only provided the PPC keywords but also crafted the ad messaging, even when asked to generate the negative keyword list. It highlighted in-segment keywords while avoiding generic terms, unlike Deepseek. ChatGPT has bucketed the audience based on intent, competition, and industry, which DeepSeek missed. This bucketing allows marketers to plan, execute, and track results more effectively. Here are the prompts we gave both ChatGPT and Deepseek. 

Prompt: Suggest 10 relevant keywords to advertise this landing page https://www.semrush.com/blog/category/seo/ 

 

 

Prompt: List 10 keyword ideas to advertise eco-friendly pet products. 

 

 

Prompt: I’m running an Instagram carousel ad campaign about intelligent toys for pets. Find 5 keywords similar to this one- ‘pet toys for training’. 

 

 

Prompt: Generate 5 most popular keywords for the topic of pet parents 

 

 

Prompt: I’m running an ad campaign about pet-friendly cafes. My target audience is pet parents. Brainstorm 5 negative keywords for the topic of Pet cafes near me.  

 

 

Prompt: Create 5 ad groups for these keywords 

 

 

Prompt: I’m creating a Google search ad for pet-friendly cabs. I need you to create 5 suggestions for the ad headline and description.  

 

 

ChatGPT is the clear winner here, as it has bucketed the audience based on intent, competition, and industry, which is missed with DeepSeek, which allows marketers to plan, execute, and track results more effectively.  

Final Verdict: Which AI Should Marketers Use?

Marketing Use Case   Best AI Model  
SEO & Blog Content    ✅Deepseek  
Social Media Copywriting    ✅Chatgpt  
Google Ads & PPC Copy    ✅ ChatGPT   

 

Choosing Between ChatGPT and DeepSeek

Both ChatGPT and DeepSeek bring unique strengths to the table. ChatGPT shines in crafting engaging social media content and persuasive ad copy, making it a go-to for dynamic campaigns. On the flip side, DeepSeek excels in SEO and blog content, offering in-depth keyword analysis and structured articles that boost your search rankings. 

 

The Future of AI with DeepSeek

DeepSeek has come out in the industry as a disruptor. It has proven that cutting-edge AI models can be built without the enormous financial and hardware investments that companies like OpenAI rely on.

With its open-source model, efficient development process, and cost-effective AI solutions, DeepSeek AI is not just challenging the status quo—it is rewriting the future of AI. The next few months will be crucial in determining how the industry reacts, but one thing is certain: DeepSeek has arrived, and it’s here to stay.

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