Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek surpasses ChatGPT on Apple app store

Despite its sudden rise, little is known about the company, which has rapidly become a symbol of China’s growing prowess in artificial intelligence.

Updated on: Jan 27, 2025, 13:15:44 IST

By HT News Desk, hindustantimes.com

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Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has reportedly overtaken ChatGPT to become the top-rated free app on Apple's App Store in the US as of Monday, January 27, just a little over two weeks after its release.

OpenAI and ChatGPT logos are seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023. (REUTERS)

DeepSeek is said to have been developed by a start-up based in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, known for its high density of tech firms.

Its AI Assistant, powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, has gained significant traction since its January 10 release, as per app data research firm Sensor Tower. DeepSeek developers claim that the DeepSeek-V3 model outperforms many open-source models and rivals some of the most advanced closed-source ones globally.

This achievement marks a major development in the ongoing global artificial intelligence race, challenging US dominance in the field and raising questions about the effectiveness of Washington's export controls aimed at curbing China's access to advanced chip technology and AI progress.

Also Read: ChatGPT’s new feature allows scheduling tasks, challenging Alexa and Siri

Despite efforts by the previous Joe Biden administration to prevent US-made chips from reaching China, which began in 2021, DeepSeek’s success suggests that China’s AI progress might be less constrained than previously thought.

DeepSeek researchers reported that the DeepSeek-V3 model was trained using Nvidia’s H800 chips, with training costs under $6 million, according to information mentioned in a news agency Reuters report.

While this claim has been disputed, the fact that the chips were reportedly less advanced than those targeted by US export bans has led to skepticism within the US tech industry about the success of such controls.

Founded in 2023 in Hangzhou, DeepSeek is one of many Chinese tech firms to release AI models, but it is the first to gain recognition in the US for matching or even surpassing the performance of leading US AI models.

Despite its sudden rise, little is known about the company, which has rapidly become a symbol of China’s growing prowess in artificial intelligence.

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