China’s AI chatbot, DeepSeek, is rapidly gaining worldwide attention, primarily due to its free service offering. Shortly after its launch, the app surpassed OpenAI’s ChatGPT in ratings on the Apple App Store in the United States. Over the past 36 hours, interest in the startup has surged significantly, drawing both praise and scrutiny.
Investor Praise and Rising Popularity
Prominent investor Andreessen has hailed DeepSeek as one of the most innovative AI models to date. However, alongside its growing acclaim, reports of a cyber attack on the platform have emerged, raising concerns about its security.
Cyber Attack Shortly After Launch
The immense popularity of DeepSeek became evident when its systems experienced overwhelming pressure shortly after its release, causing the service to go offline for over an hour. While some speculated it was due to high user traffic, the startup later revealed that the outage was caused by a cyber attack. Allegedly, the attack involved spamming the app using multiple phone numbers, aiming to disrupt its services.
In response to the incident, DeepSeek stated on its status page, “Currently, only registrations with Chinese mobile numbers are allowed.” This measure was likely implemented to curb further misuse.
Free Service Drives Global Appeal
One of the key factors behind DeepSeek’s rapid rise is its free service model. The Chinese startup has developed its AI technology at a significantly lower cost compared to competitors, making it accessible to a broader audience. This cost-effective approach has not only boosted its popularity but also disrupted the global tech landscape. For instance, shares of AI chip manufacturer Nvidia Corp. experienced a sharp decline following DeepSeek’s launch.
What is DeepSeek AI?
DeepSeek is an advanced AI model created by a research lab of the same name, headquartered in Hangzhou, China. Founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, an engineer with expertise in AI and quantitative finance, the startup has quickly made a name for itself in the AI industry.
The DeepSeek-V3 model, an open-source AI system, has become the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store, outperforming OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Its success has been particularly notable in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, where it has garnered widespread user adoption.