DeepSec overtakes Chat for top app chart
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) app DeepSec has overtaken Chat and other rivals to become the top-rated free application on Apple’s App Store in the US, UK and China.
The app has surged in popularity since its launch in January, challenging the widely held belief that the US is the untouchable leader of the AI industry.
It’s powered by the open-source DeepSeq-V3 model, which its researchers claim was developed for less than $6M—far less than the billions spent by rivals.
But this claim has been disputed by others in the AI space.
After the launch of DeepSec-R1 earlier this month Company proud One of OpenEI’s latest models, a Chat Creator with “Demonstration with Chat” – when used for tasks like math, coding, and natural language reasoning.
Silicon Valley venture capitalist and Donald Trump advisor Marc Andreessen tells DeepSec-R1 “AI’s Sputnik moment”In reference to the first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.
Advanced chips power the training of AI models like chat and DeepSeq.
But since 2021, the US government has widened its restrictions on advanced chips being sold to China.
To continue their work without a steady supply of imported advanced chips, Chinese AI developers have shared their work with each other and experimented with new approaches to the technology.
This results in AI models requiring less computing power than before. It also means they cost much less than previously thought, which has the potential to enhance the industry.
Shares in US-based AI-related companies, such as Nvidia, Microsoft and Meta, were down on Monday morning.
Some estimates put the cost of training DeepSeq at a fraction of larger US AI firms.
“This could potentially derail the investment case for the entire AI supply chain, which is driven by a small outlay of hyperscalers,” Singapore-based technology equity consultant Wee-Sern Ling told the BBC.
But Wall Street banking giant Citi cautioned that while DeepSec could challenge the dominant positions of US companies such as OpenAI issues faced by Chinese firms could hinder their growth.
“We anticipate that in what is essentially a more restrictive environment, we have an advantage in having access to more advanced chips,” its analysts said in a report.
Last week, a consortium of US tech firms and foreign investors announced Stargate Project, A company that is pouring $500bn into AI infrastructure in Texas.
The company was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng in Hangzhou, a city in southeast China.
The 40-year-old, an information and electronic engineering graduate, also founded the hedge fund that backed DeepSec.
He Allegedly Created a store of NVIDA A100 chips, now banned from export to China. Experts believe this collection – which some estimates put at 50,000 – inspired them to launch DeepSec, combining these chips with cheaper, lower-end ones that are still available for import. .
Mr Liang was recently seen at a meeting between industry experts and Chinese Premier Li Kiang.
