Chinese AI Firm Says Its Open Source New Model Is Beating OpenAI’s Most Advanced Publicly Released Model

The world of AI is progressing at an unprecedented pace, with each new development reshaping the playing field. Yesterday, early in the morning, a jubilant post on X (formerly Twitter) introduced DeepSeek R1 to the world. Touted as a “reasoning” AI model, R1 reportedly performs “on par” with OpenAI’s recently released o1, particularly excelling in math, coding, and reasoning tasks.

What sets R1 apart is its open-source nature. Unlike OpenAI’s o1, DeepSeek’s model allows hobbyists, developers, and researchers to freely use, modify, and share their versions of the software. In its announcement, DeepSeek proudly declared its mission to push the “boundaries of open AI!”

Open source software has long been praised as an egalitarian approach to development, allowing anyone to contribute and benefit. Iconic examples include Mozilla Firefox, VLC Media Player, and Linux. Yet, as Professor Cecelia Rikap of University College London pointed out in a podcast interview on Tech Won’t Save Us, open source isn’t always as transparent as it seems.

“In principle, open source is very positive,” Rikap explained. “The more we share knowledge, the more knowledge we are producing. However, companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta often use open source to gain popularity while keeping certain elements proprietary. This strategy turns collaborative development into free labor for the same Big Tech firms.”

DeepSeek, despite its underdog image, isn’t entirely free from these criticisms. The company operates as a subsidiary of High-Flyer, a Hangzhou-based hedge fund. While R1 may symbolize progress for smaller AI labs, it’s also a testament to how financial backing often plays a central role in these breakthroughs.

DeepSeek’s accomplishment undeniably highlights China’s growing influence in AI research and development. However, it also raises questions about whether open-source models like R1 will truly democratize technology or merely become tools for financial gain. As the AI sector races forward, the impending launch of OpenAI’s o3 suggests that competition will only intensify.

Ultimately, the success of DeepSeek R1 will depend not just on its technical prowess but also on how it is utilized—whether as a means to advance society or as another cog in the profit-driven machine of the tech industry.

“Those who profit from collaborative development are often the same Big Tech,” Rikap warned.

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