In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced rapidly, transforming various sectors and shaping the future of technology. In this scenario, DeepSeek caused a stir in the market, emerging as a significant innovation, offering open and accessible AI solutions.
In its newest version, DeepSeek-R1 not only replicates the capabilities of OpenAI's GPT-4 model but also challenges its dominance across various benchmarks. Furthermore, the advantage of DeepSeek-R1 is that it is an open-source model under the MIT license, making it a powerful alternative in the field of AI.
DeepSeek-R1 was developed by the Chinese company DeepSeek to address tasks requiring logical reasoning, mathematical problem-solving, and real-time decision-making. This model was designed to demonstrate the logical decision-making process, and one of its main advantages is allowing users to follow their decision-making process. This feature replicates the human decision-making and reasoning process, which is especially valuable for applications where transparency in reasoning is essential.
Notably, DeepSeek was developed at a time when international restrictions limited China's access to cutting-edge AI equipment. And to overcome these barriers, the company had to seek alternatives to maximize the use of available resources, which led to the creation of innovative solutions. As a result, DeepSeek-R1 allows the use of existing hardware, ensuring efficiency without relying on highly specialized infrastructure.
Traditionally, Large Language Models (LLMs), such as GPT-4, Claude, and Llama, face challenges for broader adoption, such as high computational requirements, the need for complex infrastructure comparable to supercomputers, and dependence on high-performance AI accelerators. These factors significantly increase development and operation costs, making this technology inaccessible. However, history shows that disruptive innovations often overcome these barriers, reducing costs and expanding access.
Thus, DeepSeek exemplifies this pattern, demonstrating that even incumbent companies dominating this market can be challenged and are not comfortably protected by their technological leadership. The impact was significant in the sector, and it is estimated that leading companies in the industry have lost $1 trillion in market value due to the emerging competition from open and more accessible models.
On the other hand, the dissemination of DeepSeek also raised concerns in some governments. Countries such as Italy, Thailand, South Korea, and Australia have imposed restrictions on the use of their apps, especially by public employees. In the United States, similar measures have been adopted, based on security concerns, similar to the restrictions imposed on companies like Huawei and TikTok.
It is worth noting that these restrictions apply to the applications and the web page, but not necessarily to the model itself. However, security specialists, such as the companies Seekr and Enkrypt AI, warn about potential vulnerabilities in the model, which still need further investigation.
In general, just as happened with personal computing, the internet, and cloud computing, LLMs are on their way to becoming a more accessible technology. With new solutions that reduce costs and simplify infrastructure, the adoption of these models is expected to accelerate, profoundly impacting various sectors.
Looking to the future, more compact models like DeepSeek may be ideal for deployment in trusted computing enclave environments. These environments enable completely secure and encrypted processing of sensitive data, ensuring integrity and privacy—which is essential for privacy-preserving machine learning agents (PPML).
This is essential to meet the growing demand for autonomous AI agents in applications handling sensitive data, ensuring efficiency and security. As AI becomes increasingly central to the economy and global security, reliable and secure infrastructure is needed to meet the demand for AI agents in sensitive applications that require safety and trust.
In this scenario, RT-One is making a strategic advance with the construction of the first AI-focused data center in Brazil, in the city of Maringá, Paraná. This initiative aims to strengthen the country's computing infrastructure, boosting artificial intelligence and cybersecurity at the national level.
With an optimized infrastructure for AI and confidential computing, RT-One and its technology partners are bringing advanced AI solutions to Brazil, ensuring high performance and protection of sensitive data.
In summary, DeepSeek represents a significant advancement in the field of artificial intelligence, offering a powerful and accessible alternative to dominant models. Your impact is already evident in the global market, accelerating the democratization of AI and sparking debates about security, regulation, and technological infrastructure.
RT-One is aligned with this revolution, preparing for a future where AI, data security, and digital sovereignty go hand in hand, with the potential to transform various sectors and applications. By strengthening Brazil's technological infrastructure, RT-One aims to promote innovation in the country, creating the foundation for advances in research and the development of new technologies and ensuring greater digital autonomy.
Fernando Palamone is an executive with over 30 years of experience managing technologies in global markets such as the USA, Europe, and Asia, having worked at Intel, Cisco, VMware, IBM, among others.