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DeepSeek's main interface. Photo: Bloomberg . |
AI models are becoming increasingly accessible. Following ChatGPT and Claude, the R1 model from the Chinese startup DeepSeek is attracting attention due to its open source and low cost.
DeepSeek demonstrates that startups can still compete with many "giants" in the AI field. However, concerns about privacy, intellectual property, and the resources behind small businesses still pose challenges in their development.
Complex competitive landscape
Despite its global popularity, DeepSeek still faces many obstacles, particularly regarding privacy. Many people worry about the leakage of sensitive data, creating a hesitant attitude towards using these tools.
"Shortly after its launch, privacy concerns led many people to self-host DeepSeek models."
“This is why the Hugging Face platform is popular because it allows developers to run AI locally, avoiding potential security risks,” shared Dr. Jeff Nijsse, Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering at RMIT Vietnam.
Perplexity, an AI startup based in San Francisco, even reassured users that data sent to DeepSeek was limited to data centers in the US and Europe.
“All of Perplexity’s DeepSeek is stored in data centers in the US and Europe. DeepSeek is open source. Your data is not sent to China,” affirmed Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity.
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DeepSeek and OpenAI's models are shaking up the tech world. Photo: Bloomberg . |
Dr. Nijsse also expressed concerns regarding DeepSeek's training methods. According to him, OpenAI claims to have evidence that DeepSeek used distillation techniques on OpenAI's models for its own benefit.
“The knowledge distillation process helps reduce the overall size while increasing the efficiency of the model. However, this may violate OpenAI’s terms of service,” Nijsse added.
Analysts also questioned how DeepSeek obtained the high-performance graphics card (GPU) used to train its models, despite Nvidia's strict export controls. These factors highlight the increasingly complex competition in the AI field.
Opportunities remain wide open.
Despite the rise of DeepSeek, Dr. James Kang, a senior lecturer in Computer Science at RMIT Vietnam, believes that the majority of the AI market remains in the hands of large companies with access to Nvidia's advanced processing chips and vast proprietary data repositories.
"Large technology corporations have a significant advantage due to their abundant financial resources and access to high-performance computing hardware."
However, the emergence of open-source models like DeepSeek R1 proves that smaller AI companies can still create breakthroughs by focusing on specialized applications and performance,” Kang added.
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Icons for DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Photo: Bloomberg . |
AI promises to enhance productivity and automation, but also poses challenges regarding regulation, ethics, and labor transformation. Representatives from RMIT Vietnam compare this change to the industrial revolutions.
“AI will certainly replace certain jobs, but at the same time, it will open up many new opportunities. The key is to focus on retraining and upskilling the workforce, helping them transition to roles that require critical thinking and decision-making abilities,” said Dr. Kang.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jeff Nijsse emphasized the long-term economics of AI models, noting that while the cost of investing in AI models is increasing, the cost per token is decreasing. He expects open-source AI to gradually shape the future of the field.
"Just the emergence of a robust open-source model is enough to stir up the community. Startups can develop and improve upon the existing platform, even if they are limited in resources."
"The dominance of expensive, high-end GPUs won't last forever, and when older hardware becomes available on the market, AI development will become easier," Dr. Nijsse emphasized.
This transformation also presents opportunities for startups in Vietnam. Small businesses can leverage open-source technology to develop AI applications for niche markets at low cost. With government support, the AI industry in Vietnam promises to continue growing, becoming one of the leading countries in the region.
Source: https://znews.vn/thay-gi-tu-con-sot-deepseek-post1537584.html
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