Last Updated on February 27, 2025
The start of 2025 caused quite a stir in the AI industry when DeepSeek released its latest model in late January. Given its user-friendly interface and ability to accomplish technical tasks, the platform’s increased market value shows no signs of slowing down.
With its entry into the competitive global AI race, many wonder how both DeepSeek and OpenAI’s ChatGPT differ from one another.
Read along as we compare DeepSeek and ChatGPT. We’ll also discuss the prevalence of artificial intelligence in the country so that you’ll be well-informed when you try to break into the Chinese market.
What is DeepSeek AI Chatbot?
DeepSeek is a Chinese company specializing in open-source large language models (LLMs). Its AI model was founded in July 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, a co-founder of the Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer.
On January 10, 2025, their developers unveiled their chatbot, DeepSeek-R1. When it launched on global mobile application stores, the platform immediately surpassed ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app on the US Apple App Store in just 17 days.
Right now, DeepSeek has approximately 10 million downloads. However, its desktop visits in January 2025 surged to over 278 million from only 12 million traffic the previous month.
Considering the broader range of machine learning technology that DeepSeek focuses on, many speculate that the platform’s development is worth at least $1 billion or more. Because it has so much traction in the AI market, Nvidia’s stock price fell by around 17%. It was the largest recorded single-day loss in the US.
Due to the rapid development and impressive capability of this AI model, several Chinese social media apps, search engines, and niche platforms are testing this cutting-edge technology as part of their user landscape.
For example, Weixin (popularly known as WeChat) has initiated beta testing of DeepSeek’s AI tools for its search feature. This move shows Tencent’s commitment to enhancing user experience through advanced AI integration.
Similarly, Baidu announced the integration of DeepSeek R1 into its interface, along with its developed AI model, Ernie. According to the Chinese search engine giant, this decision is made to diversify the browsing experience of their users as the market becomes more focused on tech-driven innovations.
How do I access DeepSeek AI Chatbot?
You can interact with DeepSeek directly through their official website (https://chat.deepseek.com/). Besides that, you can also download it through the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
DeepSeek’s Chat Website Interface
API access is also available for developers and businesses that want to integrate DeepSeek’s functionalities into their applications. This enables customized AI solutions tailored to specific needs.
If you prefer running DeepSeek on your hardware, you can install it locally to avoid privacy concerns and enhance output control. This process involves setting up the R1 model on your system.
What Can DeepSeek R1 Do?
DeepSeek R1 is designed to handle a range of natural language processing tasks, similar to ChatGPT. Its system is fine-tuned to engage with users and accommodate their needs, such as conversational engagement, content creation, text summarization, translation, and coding tasks.
The AI tool’s problem-solving performance is exceptional, especially with its capability to break down problems into logical steps and explain the reasoning behind each stage.
For example, the DeepSeekmodel won’t just supply an answer if you’re working on a complex research problem or writing in-depth content. It will walk you through the logic that leads to its conclusion.
Is DeepSeek Better Than ChatGPT?
In the debate of DeepSeek vs ChatGPT, everything often hinges on what a user values most in an AI tool.
The latter has become popular for its natural conversational style and user-friendly interface, which makes it ideal for quick, straightforward user interactions. It’s also widely adopted in various commercial and consumer-facing applications and backed by a broad user community.
DeepSeek R1, on the other hand, leans more heavily into logical reasoning. Instead of simply generating text responses, it lays out a transparent thought process. This approach works better in terms of fact verification and technical research.
One aspect that might give DeepSeek an edge is the data it was trained on. Since it’s a Chinese AI model, much of its training dataset was local text and information. Because of this, it’s adept at understanding the nuances and complexities of the Chinese market and consumers.
Despite being adept at many tasks, ChatGPT sometimes struggles with region-specific nuance and up-to-date cultural references, especially if its training data doesn’t include the most recent local content.
DeepSeek vs ChatGPT: How Different Are These Large Language Models?
1. Platform Accessibility
Platform accessibility often shapes how an AI tool is adopted in different regions. ChatGPT is a product of OpenAI, and while it is accessible in many parts of the world, it remains largely out of reach in China.
Chinese users who wish to access ChatGPT typically rely on VPN services, which adds technical hurdles and compliance concerns.
Unlike foreign AI models, DeepSeek is designed to align with China’s digital ecosystem, data security laws, and content moderation policies. Thus, users do not need workaround methods like VPNs to utilize its features.
2. Cost or Price Range
ChatGPT offers a tiered pricing model: a free version (GPT-3.5) and a $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscription for GPT-4 access and priority on new models.
Meanwhile, DeepSeek is also free to use in its basic form. However, its pricing model pivots to a token-based structure for users requiring large-scale data analysis or higher-level reasoning.
DeepSeek AI Models and Pricing Chart
3. Problem-solving and Technical Capabilities
Although DeepSeek and ChatGPT provide general knowledge and problem-solving capabilities, their approaches to data processing are not on the same level. ChatGPT excels in broad problem-solving tasks, given that its GPT-4 model operates with 1.8 trillion parameters.
In fact, previous studies and research proved that ChatGPT AI models could place in the 90th percentile on the U.S. bar exam and outperform humans in advanced reasoning benchmarks.
Meanwhile, DeepSeek is engineered to handle multi-step reasoning tasks more effectively. It employs reinforcement learning, allowing it to improve through continuous feedback.
Moreover, DeepSeek’s Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture allows it to select specialized sub-models based on the task. Instead of using a single large model for all queries, it directs answers to the most relevant “expert” module, improving efficiency and accuracy.
4. Content Versatility
ChatGPT is widely known for its ability to generate high-quality content across multiple domains, from creative writing and technical documentation to business reports and coding assistance.
Its training data is sourced from a broad spectrum of publicly available internet content, making it a powerful tool for content generation in multiple fields.
DeepSeek, in contrast, is more specialized. While it can handle general text generation tasks, its primary strengths are structured content creation, technical writing, and analytical work.
Its open-source nature allows developers to fine-tune it for industry-specific applications, such as legal analysis, financial modeling, and scientific research.
How is the Chinese Market utilizing the DeepSeek R1 AI Model?
It’s worth noting that DeepSeek is just among the handful of AI language models in China. According to Global Times, about 600 million Chinese internet users are utilizing generative AI for their everyday tasks and queries.
Today, DeepSeek R1 is carving out a niche by addressing localized needs across industries. One of the primary ways it’s being used is in enterprise solutions. Many Chinese businesses, from e-commerce giants to financial service providers, are integrating AI-driven tools to enhance customer service, automate workflows, and improve operational efficiency.
Future Outlook of Artificial Intelligence in Mainland China
Since ChatGPT is restricted in the country, businesses and individuals seeking AI-powered solutions have turned to DeepSeek and other domestic alternatives, such as Baidu’s Ernie Bot and Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen.
The strong government backing for AI initiatives is a major driving force, as seen in the “Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan” issued by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
Through this roadmap, leaders seek to achieve groundbreaking advancements in AI technology and theory by 2030. With DeepSeek’s rapid global traction, China’s AI market’s growth will likely soar in the coming years.
Quick Q&A
What are the top AI firms in China?
Some of the leading AI companies in China include Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent (BAT), Huawei, and SenseTime. These companies focus on AI applications such as autonomous driving, cloud computing, facial recognition, and natural language processing.
Is DeepSeek safe?
DeepSeek emphasizes compliance with China’s strict data privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), and employs encryption and localized data storage. While no AI system is entirely risk-free, its focus on regulated sectors like healthcare and education suggests rigorous safeguards, though transparency remains limited compared to global peers.
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The comparison between DeepSeek and ChatGPT gives insight into how the Chinese digital landscape operates differently, even regarding AI innovations and developments. Being well-informed of technological advancements in China allows foreign marketers to prepare for changes in marketing platforms and local consumer patterns.
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