How DeepSeek is pushing the boundaries of traditional AI models

As you may have noticed, AI can already change the way we work and are hired. AI has surprised us in recent years, but Deepseek is pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve. 

Until recently, developing Large Language Models (LLM) required a lot of technical and financial resources, but the chinese AI development company – DeepSeek – has revolutionised the industry. 

What is DeepSeek?

DeepSeek focuses on developing open-source LLMs and has launched the R1 LLM model at a much lower cost than other competing companies. Its R1 models are also under an open-source license. Although the company has existed since 2023, it was following the launch of this recent LLM model, in January 2025, that the company became globally famous.

DeepSeek’s AI assistant application has had incredible results, with its AppStore classification already surpassing that of OpenAI’s ChatGPT application. This growth of DeepSeek has led to an increase in popularity and triggered a stock market sell-off on 27 January 2025, while American-based tech giants such as Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta, for example, have seen significant drops.

DeepSeek and OpenAI

DeepSeek has become a major direct competitor for OpenAI, the main leader in this industry, with ChatGPT. OpenAI has been a pioneer in the technology sector, especially in generative AI with its GPT and o1 models. It’s not the first time that a new tool has appeared to take on ChatGPT and OpenAI, and we’ve already talked about it in this other article.

Although both companies develop generative AI LLMs, they have big differences:

• Training methods: One of the main differences between DeepSeek and OpenAI that should be highlighted is their training methods. OpenAI’s o1 models use large-scale SFT (Supervised Fine-Tuning) with reinforcement learning. DeepSeek’s R1-Zero model uses solely reinforcement learning, a first among open-source models. Its reasoning process stands out for its self-correcting processes and its chain of thought approach. Deepseek’s models are designed to be adaptable and customisable to meet the specific needs and requirements of the sector.
• Pricing: OpenAI’s prices vary depending on the model used and the volume of orders, so it’s a scaled pricing structure. DeepSeek R1 offers free access for up to 50 messages a day and the price of its API is lower than that of OpenAI, which makes it an attractive option for the general public.
• Computing resources: Another of DeepSeek’s great advantages is its low computing resource requirements, enabling only the resources needed for each task. The o1 model, as it requires significantly more computing resources, is approximately 20 times more expensive to run at scale.In conclusion, Deepseek can achieve top-tier performance at a fraction of the computational cost. This shift also revives the conversation around the environmental impact of technology, showing how more efficient AI models can contribute to greater environmental sustainability.
• Security measures: OpenAI o1 leads the way in formal security measures and rigorous testing protocols, so it seems best suited to high-risk applications that require strict security compliance. DeepSeek’s transparency and the implementation flexibility of its R1 model allow for greater control and personalised privacy.

Use cases and applications

Another of the differences between DeepSeek and OpenAI is their applications. OpenAI is more suitable to areas like content creation, customer service and education. DeepSeek is more well-suited for some specific use cases. These include healthcare, finance, software development and research.

1. Medical care: DeepSeek can help with Healthcare, in particular with medical diagnoses, treatment planning and drug guidance. In this respect, transparency and precision are crucial.
2. Finance: DeepSeek can help with fraud detection, risk assessments and negotiations, leveraging its strong reasoning and analysis skills.
3. Software development: DeepSeek R1 can also help IT professionals, specifically developers, by helping with code generation, optimisation and debugging.
4. Research: This model is also particularly suitable for analysing data, helping with research and scientific discoveries.

What’s next?

Deepseek is pushing boundaries, and the smartest move you can make is to stay ahead of the game. Start exploring how it can improve your work and stay informed because this is more than just a trend, is innovation and evolution.