DeepSeek-R1 is an advanced AI model that uses a “reasoning” method, allowing it to check the correctness of an answer by doing deep analysis and taking extra time to think before responding.
Similar to OpenAI's o1 model, DeepSeek-R1 performs sequential actions to arrive at a result, which can take tens of seconds depending on the complexity of the question.
In testing, DeepSeek-R1 performed on par with OpenAI's o1-preview on two popular benchmarks: AIME and MATH. However, DeepSeek-R1 is not perfect, with some users finding that the model struggled with simple problems and could be "hacked" into giving unsafe responses, including sensitive content.
DeepSeek has implemented strict censorship measures to avoid politically sensitive topics. This reflects regulations from the Chinese government that require AI models to reflect “socialist core values.” These restrictions can also be applied through blacklists of data sources that cannot be used in training.
The launch of DeepSeek-R1 comes as traditional AI models are facing the limits of “scaling laws” — the theory that increasing data and computing power will improve AI capabilities. Instead, companies are looking to new approaches like “test-time compute,” the technology used in DeepSeek-R1, which allows models to spend more processing time on tasks.
DeepSeek impresses not only with its technology but also with its huge investment. Funded by High-Flyer Capital Management - a Chinese quantum investment fund - DeepSeek owns a server cluster containing 10,000 Nvidia A100 GPUs at a cost of up to $ 138 million. The company also announced that it will open source DeepSeek-R1 and provide the community with an API.
DeepSeek has put pressure on domestic rivals such as ByteDance, Baidu, and Alibaba, forcing them to reduce prices or give away some of their AI models for free to stay competitive. With DeepSeek-R1, the company continues to solidify its position in the AI field, marking a major step forward in the global technology race.
