DeepSeek Tops App Stores, Challenging AI Giants

 

In a surprising turn of events, the No. 1 spot on the Google Play Store was claimed by DeepSeek's Android app, just days after the chatbot was seen dominating the Apple App Store.

If you're curious about numbers, here's something to chew on: since its launch in mid-January, over 1.2 million downloads have been recorded on the Play Store for DeepSeek, with the App Store not far behind at 1.9 million installs worldwide. Interestingly, the actual count might be even higher, considering DeepSeek sports a badge boasting over 5 million downloads on Google Play.

This dramatic ascent in the rankings can be traced back to a sudden surge in popularity, sparked by the unveiling of a suite of open-source AI models. These models are not just any AI; they're being compared to the heavyweights in the West like Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta, and Google.

But here's where it gets intriguing: DeepSeek claims that its AI models were trained at a fraction of the cost compared to giants like OpenAI and Meta, and with AI chips that are, shall we say, less than state-of-the-art.

DeepSeek's app is essentially positioned as an alternative to ChatGPT, powered by the lab's own V3 model. It's got all the bells and whistles - analyzing files, answering questions, fetching information from the web, all while being free to use. You can even upload your files and have your chat history synced across devices.

Despite its current chart-topping status, to keep this crown long-term, DeepSeek would need to see its user base grow to around 300 million weekly users to challenge ChatGPT's dominance in the chatbot arena.

In the industry, DeepSeek and its models have been the talk of the town. Even startups like Perplexity and Gloo, the latter led by former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, are seen integrating DeepSeek into their operations.

So, if you're into AI, tech, or just love being at the forefront of innovation, checking out DeepSeek might just be your next smart move. Dive in, see what all the fuss is about, and maybe, just maybe, you'll be part of the next big wave in AI.