DeepSeek: A New AI Chatbot That Is Taking the World by Storm

Since January 20, 2025, the Chinese startup DeepSeek has been attracting global attention with its open-source artificial intelligence chatbot. By January 26, the app became the most popular in the free section of the App Store in the U.S., and within the first 18 days, it reached 16 million downloads—almost twice as many as ChatGPT in the same period. DeepSeek offers functionality comparable to ChatGPT but at a significantly lower price.

What is the secret behind DeepSeek’s popularity?

DeepSeek uses reinforcement learning, which allows the model to learn based on experience without manual tuning, reducing computational costs. This enabled the company to quickly launch its first version, R1, impressing the world not only with its efficiency but also with its rapid development.

DeepSeek’s popularity has raised concerns among American investors and tech analysts, who fear that the U.S. may lose its leadership in the global race for generative artificial intelligence. Additionally, DeepSeek’s launch led to a record drop in the market value of Nvidia, an American giant in graphics processing unit (GPU) manufacturing.

Controversial Issues: Security, Copyrights, and Censorship

Despite its rapid success, DeepSeek has faced several scandals. OpenAI and Microsoft accuse the startup of using OpenAI’s API to create a competing model. DeepSeek is suspected of using a distillation technique, which transfers knowledge from a large model to a smaller one without violating laws but possibly breaching terms of use.

Moreover, the company faces accusations of potentially violating user data privacy, as the information is processed in China, raising concerns from governments in other countries. In January 2025, Wiz Research discovered a significant vulnerability in DeepSeek’s security system, allowing access to user data. Although the issue was promptly addressed, it indicates a lack of attention to cybersecurity.

DeepSeek has also been criticized for content censorship in compliance with Chinese government regulations. Even when used locally, the app restricts access to certain information, raising concerns about freedom of speech.

Cost and Efficiency Considerations

One of the main advantages of DeepSeek is the cost of its development. The company claims to have spent less than $6 million to create the model by using a “mixture of experts” methodology, which divides the system into several neural networks. This reduces the amount of data transferred between graphic processors, thus lowering processing costs.

However, analysts at SemiAnalysis believe that DeepSeek’s actual costs have exceeded $500 million. Even so, this is still significantly less than the costs of its competitors.

Open Source: Opportunities and Threats

DeepSeek-R1 is open-source, allowing developers and companies to use and modify the model for their own needs. This opens new possibilities for innovation in the AI field, especially in countries with limited access to advanced technologies.

However, open-source code also poses a cybersecurity threat, as it could potentially be used to hack systems or create malicious software.

The Future of DeepSeek and Its Impact on SEO

DeepSeek could become a new player in the generative AI market with search capabilities, significantly affecting the future of SEO. By using natural language processing and machine learning, chatbots like DeepSeek and ChatGPT analyze queries, focusing on semantic understanding and contextual analysis. This allows them to provide more accurate and relevant answers based on real user intent, rather than simply relying on keywords.

With the emergence of tools like DeepSeek, SEO specialists need to adapt their strategies, taking into account the shift in how searches are conducted. Traditional keyword-based optimization may become less effective as new algorithms prioritize semantic relationships and context. This means content creation should focus on providing comprehensive answers to user queries, as well as a deep understanding of their needs and intentions.

Additionally, it’s important to monitor how DeepSeek processes different types of content, such as video, images, and interactive elements. Optimizing multimedia content and using structured data will help better address complex queries and improve visibility in new search environments.

Another key factor is tracking changes in user behavior. Since DeepSeek offers interactive search and dialogue capabilities, users may adjust their queries during the conversation. This requires a more flexible approach to content creation and search query analysis.

Ultimately, while new technologies are changing the way we interact with information, the fundamental search needs of users remain unchanged. SEO specialists should carefully analyze how chatbots like DeepSeek formulate responses to queries and adapt their strategies to remain competitive in the age of generative AI.

Conclusions: DeepSeek as a Catalyst for Change in the AI World

The emergence of DeepSeek in the generative AI market not only demonstrates the rapid development of technology but also poses new challenges for global industry leaders like OpenAI and Google. DeepSeek’s success indicates that AI innovations are no longer the monopoly of Western companies. The Chinese startup has shown that effective learning methods and cost optimization can create competitive products capable of changing the rules of the game.

However, DeepSeek’s success also raises several important questions that will shape the future of the industry:

• Ethical Standards and Security: DeepSeek has faced criticism for potential data privacy violations and censorship. This highlights the need for the development of global standards for AI security and ethics to ensure user trust and prevent abuse.
• Competition and Innovation: DeepSeek is an example of how competition drives innovation. Its success may encourage other companies to develop more effective and affordable solutions, accelerating technological progress.
• Impact on the Job Market: The rise of generative AI, particularly tools like DeepSeek, could lead to changes in the job market. Some professions may be automated, but new opportunities will emerge in AI development, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
• The Future of Information Search: DeepSeek and similar chatbots are changing approaches to information retrieval by focusing on semantic understanding and context. This requires SEO specialists and marketers to adopt new strategies, emphasizing content quality and a deep understanding of user needs.

In the future, DeepSeek could become not only a tool for information search but also a platform for creating new products and services that will transform our way of life. However, to realize its potential, the company will need to overcome challenges related to security, ethics, and user trust.

Thus, DeepSeek is not just a new player in the AI market but a symbol of a new era of technological progress, where innovation goes beyond geographic boundaries.

This article available in Ukrainian.