For weeks now, the global tech industry has been waiting for a major artificial intelligence launch from DeepSeek, seen as a benchmark for China's progress in the fast-moving field.
More than a year has passed since the startup put Chinese AI on the map in early 2025 with a low-cost chatbot that performed at a similar level to US rivals.
kAmqFE 56DA:E6 C6A@CED 2?5 CF>@FCD 23@FE :ED :>>:?6?E C6=62D6[ s66A$66<VD ?6IE\86?6C2E:@? Q'cQ >@56= :D ?@H96C6 :? D:89E]k^Am
kAm$A64F=2E:@? :D 2=D@ DH:C=:?8 @G6C E96 86@A@=:E:42= :>A=:42E:@?D @7 H9:49 4@>AFE6C 49:AD H6C6 49@D6? E@ EC2:? 2?5 A@H6C E96 ?6H DJDE6>i H@C=5\=625:?8 &$ 56D:8?D @C >256\:?\r9:?2 2=E6C?2E:G6D E92E E96 4@F?ECJ :D C24:?8 E@ 56G6=@A]k^Am
kAmQxEVD :>A@CE2?E E@ <?@H 3642FD6 2E @?6 =6G6=[ :E :D 2 D:8?2= @7 r9:?2VD px D6=7\DF77:4:6?4J EC2;64E@CJ[Q (6: $F?[ AC:?4:A2= px 2?2=JDE 2E r@F?E6CA@:?E #6D62C49[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%649 ?6HD @FE=6E %96 x?7@C>2E:@? C6A@CE65 =2DE H66< E92E 'c 42? 36 CF? @? E96 =2E6DE 49:AD >256 3J r9:?2VD wF2H6:]k^Am
kAm$F49 2 D9:7E H@F=5 >2C< 2 >:=6DE@?6 7@C r9:?2 :? :ED 3:5 E@ 362E &$ C6DEC:4E:@?D @? E96 6IA@CE @7 E@A\@7\E96\C2?86 px 49:AD 7C@> r2=:7@C?:2? E:E2? }G:5:2 E@ E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE 4:E65 7:G6 A6@A=6 H:E9 5:C64E <?@H=6586 @7 =2C86 @C56CD 7@C wF2H6: 49:AD[ >256 :? AC6A2C2E:@? 7@C E96 s66A$66< =2F?49 3J E649 8:2?ED :?4=F5:?8 p=:3232[ qJE6s2?46 2?5 %6?46?E]k^Am
kAmpu! 4@?E24E65 s66A$66<[ wF2H6:[ p=:3232[ qJE6s2?46 2?5 %6?46?E 3FE ?@?6 H6C6 23=6 E@ 4@>>6?E]k^Am
k9am\ V(2<6\FA 42==V \k^9am
kAms66A$66< DE2CE65 =:76 :? a_ab 2D 2 D:56 AC@;64E @7 2 96586 7F?5 E92E 925 2446DD E@ 2 42496 @7 A@H6C7F= }G:5:2 AC@46DD@CD]k^Am
kAmxE D9@E E@ 2EE6?E:@? :? y2?F2CJ a_ad H:E9 :ED #` 566A\C62D@?:?8 492E3@E[ H9:49 D6?E &$ E649 D92C6D EF>3=:?8 H:E9 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 42==:?8 :E 2 QH2<6\FA 42==Q 7@C p>6C:42? 7:C>D]k^Am
kAm#` H2D 32D65 @? s66A$66<VD =2DE >2;@C px >@56=[ 'b[ H9:49 H2D C6=62D65 :? s646>36C a_ac]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A2?JVD 277@C523=6[ 4FDE@>:D23=6 px E@@=D 92G6 366? H:56=J 25@AE65 :? r9:?2[ 2?5 2C6 2=D@ A@AF=2C :? 6>6C8:?8 >2C<6ED DF49 2D $@FE962DE pD:2 2?5 E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am
kAm$E6A96? (F[ 7@F?56C @7 E96 r2CE9286 r2A:E2= 7F?5[ E@=5 pu! E92E 'c \\ D2:5 E@ 36 >F=E:>@52=[ >62?:?8 :E 42? 86?6C2E6 E6IE[ A:4EFC6D 2?5 G:56@ \\ 4@F=5 282:? D9@4< &$ E649 G2=F2E:@?D]k^Am
kAmQx 6IA64E E96 FA4@>:?8 s66A$66< 'c C6=62D6 H:== ?@E ;FDE 36 2 D@7EH2C6 FA52E6j :E H:== 36 2 9:89=J 42A23=6[ @A6?\D@FC46 >@56= E92E 92?5=6D >2DD:G6 4@?E6IE H:?5@HD 2E 2 7C24E:@? @7 E96 4@DE[Q 96 AC65:4E65]k^Am
kAmqFE s66A$66<VD C6AFE2E:@? 2D 2 4@>A2?J 2E E96 7C@?E:6C @7 px E649?@=@8J :D 2=D@ 2E DE2<6]k^Am
kAmxED >@56=D AC6G:@FD=J C6=:65 @? }G:5:2 49:AD[ D@ 2 >@G6 E@ 4@==23@C2E6 H:E9 5@>6DE:4 49:A>2<6CD H@F=5 C6BF:C6 QDF3DE2?E:2= C6\6?8:?66C:?8Q[ (6: D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ%92E EC2?D:E:@? 42? D=@H 56G6=@A>6?E 4J4=6D 2?5 :?EC@5F46 A6C7@C>2?46 EC256\@77D[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C 'c[ 2 >@56= 6IA64E65 E@ 36 DE2E6\@7\E96\2CE]Qk^Am
k9am\ %C2:?:?8 GD :?76C6?46 \k^9am
kAm%96 &$ 4:E6D ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ 4@?46C?D 2D E96 C62D@? 7@C :ED 6IA@CE 32? @? }G:5:2VD >@DE A@H6C7F= px AC@46DD@CD E@ r9:?2]k^Am
kAmQ%96 @?8@:?8 H2:E 7@C s66A$66< 'c A@:?ED E@ 7C:4E:@? :? D42=:?8 25G2?465 >@56=D H:E9@FE F?C6DEC:4E65 2446DD E@ E@A\E:6C }G:5:2 92C5H2C6[Q (F D2:5]k^Am
kAmqFE D@>6 C6A@CED 2==686 E92E s66A$66< D<:CE65 E96 32? E@ EC2:? 'c FD:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 }G:5:2VD E@A\6?5 q=24<H6== 49:AD[ 5:D>2?E=65 :? E9:C5 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 D>F88=65 E@ r9:?2]k^Am
kAm%C2:?:?8 px >@56=D C6BF:C6D 9F86 2>@F?ED @7 4@>AFE:?8 A@H6C \\ >F49 >@C6 E92? 7@C AC@46DD:?8 86?6C2E:G6 px BF6C:6D[ H9:49 :D <?@H? 2D :?76C6?46]k^Am
kAmpu! 92D 4@?E24E65 s66A$66< 7@C 4@>>6?E] }G:5:2 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ 2 4@>>6?E C6BF6DE 3FE E@=5 %96 x?7@C>2E:@? :E 925 ?@E D66? 6G:56?46 @7 E9:D 2?5 QDF49 D>F88=:?8 D66>D 72C76E4965Q]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C r9:?6D6 px DE2CEFA[ +9:AF[ :? y2?F2CJ F?G6:=65 2? :>286 86?6C2E@C E92E :E D2:5 925 366? 6?E:C6=J EC2:?65 @? wF2H6: 49:AD]k^Am
kAmp?5 p=:3232 D2:5 E9:D H66< :E H@F=5 @A6? 2 ?6H 52E2 46?EC6 7@C px EC2:?:?8 2?5 :?76C6?46 :? D@FE96C? r9:?2[ A@H6C65 3J `_[___ @7 :ED @H? 49:AD 2?5 @A6C2E65 3J r9:?2 %6=64@>]k^Am
kAmpD 7@C s66A$66<[ Q:7 E96J 92G6 DF446DD7F==J EC2:?65 'c 6?E:C6=J @? wF2H6: D:=:4@?[ :E D:8?2=D 2 >2E6C:2= D9:7E :? E96 86@A@=:E:42= E649 =2?5D42A6Q[ (F D2:5]k^Am
kAm<27\==^=<5^=82k^Am


