The landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was recently shaken up with the arrival of a new player: DeepSeek. Developed by a Chinese startup, the tool promises to redefine what we understand by generative AI, challenging industry giants like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. But what makes DeepSeek so special?
It is an open-source AI platform that stands out for its efficiency and low development cost, achieved through an innovative and highly disruptive technological architecture compared to the most well-known generative artificial intelligence models on the market. One of the most notable technical innovations is the so-called "intelligent quantization," which in simpler terms would be understood as the rounding formula used to facilitate calculations. Such an approach significantly reduces memory requirements and associated costs without compromising the accuracy of the results.
So while companies like OpenAI have invested around $6 billion over a decade, with a team of 4,500 employees, DeepSeek has achieved comparable results in just two years, with a team of less than 200 employees and an investment approximately 1000 times smaller, between $5 and $6 million.
Furthermore, DeepSeek is built on a hybrid architecture that combines deep neural networks with sparse attention mechanisms and advanced reinforcement learning algorithms. The combination allows for more efficient data processing, reducing computational consumption while maintaining high accuracy.
Another differential is that DeepSeek adopts the "mixture of experts" approach, activating only the necessary computational resources for each task. The technique not only increases efficiency but also reduces energy consumption, making the model more sustainable. One of the biggest advantages is the fact that it is an open-source system. This means that anyone, whether a researcher, developer, or technology enthusiast, can access its source code, study it, modify it, and improve it according to their needs.
The democratization of AI gives developing countries and regions access to cutting-edge technologies without relying exclusively on proprietary and high-cost solutions, leveling the playing field and allowing different communities to benefit from AI advances to solve local challenges.
Market impact
The introduction of DeepSeek had a significant impact on the technological and financial markets. Companies like Nvidia, a leading provider of AI chips, saw a sharp decline in their stocks (which had been experiencing months of excessive appreciation) after the launch of DeepSeek, resulting in a loss of approximately 600 billion dollars in market capitalization (up to the time I am writing this article). This demonstrates how much the "phenomenon" DeepSeek challenged thestatus quoand prompted a reassessment of AI development strategies by large companies.
All of this was so impactful and transformative that even the newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump, who has as one of his main government flags the global leadership in AI by North American companies, was forced to speak out.
Furthermore, the accessibility and low cost of DeepSeek open opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt advanced AI solutions, previously restricted to large corporations due to high costs. The result can be greater innovation in various sectors, from health to finance.
The success of DeepSeek signals a shift in the AI development paradigm (which was led and dominated by the US), bringing new major competitors to the industry, who will emphasize efficiency with accessibility. This approach is expected to encourage other companies to adopt open-source models, seeking more resource-efficient solutions.
However, preparing for this revolution requires professionals and companies to adopt certain behaviors:
- Keep yourself updated continuouslyStaying informed about the latest trends and advances in AI is crucial. Reading news and participating in courses, workshops, and conferences can help keep up with the fast pace of innovations.
- Adopt an open mindset: Being willing to experiment with new tools and approaches, such as those offered by DeepSeek, can provide significant competitive advantages, since there are literally dozens of new things every day – and this process will only accelerate.
- Encourage collaborationThe open-source nature of DeepSeek highlights the importance of collaboration within the AI community. Contributing to open source projects and sharing knowledge are actions that can accelerate collective progress, countering the main models previously prevailing in the market, which are paid and closed.
Digital transformation is accelerating, and DeepSeek exemplifies how innovations can emerge unexpectedly, challenging established players and redefining the future of technology. Being prepared for changes is essential to stay relevant and competitive in the current market. I am very curious and interested in continuing to follow where all of this will lead us! And you?
