DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company founded by Liang Wenfeng in 2023. In January 2025, it launched its flagship model, DeepSeek-R1.
This model boasts reasoning and mathematical capabilities on par with ChatGPT-4o and other top-tier AI models such as Google Gemini and Claude AI. As an AI user, I plan to compare the DeepSeek app with the ChatGPT app in my work.
What’s truly astonishing is that DeepSeek’s development cost was only about $6 million—roughly 6% of what it costs to develop ChatGPT-4o. This marks the beginning of a new era in AI development, proving that cutting-edge AI is no longer exclusive to tech giants with virtually limitless financial resources.
However, DeepSeek faces serious concerns regarding security and privacy. There are ongoing discussions suggesting that the app may transmit user data to Chinese state-owned entities. As a result, countries like South Korea and Australia are considering bans, while the U.S. is also preparing similar measures.
Despite these challenges, Wenfeng’s achievement highlights China’s growing ability to compete with the U.S. in AI technology, even amid export controls and rising trade barriers. DeepSeek represents a major shift in the AI industry, demonstrating that advanced AI can be developed at a fraction of traditional costs.
This breakthrough also signals a huge opportunity for developing countries like Turkiye—proving that affordable AI development is within reach. As the race for deeper and cheaper AI accelerates, we may soon see a new wave of innovation from unexpected places.
