Chinese tech startup DeepSeek's AI Assistant, powered by DeepSeek-V3, has overtaken rival ChatGPT to become the top-rated free application available on Apple's App Store in the United States.
It has sent shock waves through the global tech sector with the release of an artificial intelligence (AI) model whose capabilities rival the creations of Google and OpenAI.
The company has attracted attention in global AI circles after writing in a paper last month that the training of DeepSeek-V3 required less than $6 million worth of computing power from Nvidia H800 chips.
Needless to say, DeepSeek has quickly become a social media sensation as well. Users across social media platforms have flooded their feeds with memes, commentary, and humorous takes on the tech startup.
One viral meme compares OpenAI and DeepSeek AI with two side-by-side images. The first image shows a shooter at the 2023 Olympics, dressed in full gear and holding a proper stance, labelled "OpenAI."
The second image features Yusuf Dikeç, the Turkish shooter known for his casual stance and lack of equipment, who still won a silver medal. This image is labeled "DeepSeek AI."
In another meme that has taken the internet by storm, Toby Forage, the user who posted it, captioned it, “There are some quality OpenAI-DeepSeek memes out there already, but this is probably my favorite so far.”
In another popular post, a user claimed to have asked DeepSeek AI to name a meme coin. The AI reportedly suggested "DeepFart" as the name. The user shared the screenshot and captioned it, “I’ve asked @deepseek_ai to name me a meme coin, and this is what it gave me. #DEEPFART.”
Another meme took aim at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's X post, where he gamely said, "It's legit invigorating to have a new competitor." But the meme-makes? They were far less forgiving.
A user aptly put it, "I can't believe ChatGPT lost its job to AI." What added a dash of humour to this already humorous comment was Elon Musk's nod of approval.
A tweet humorously compared the AI advancements of the US and China. "US launches Open AI Gemini. China launches Deepseek. Meanwhile, India will launch 10,000 courses on how to use them," the user quipped, emphasizing the global race for AI dominance while poking fun at the educational resources India plans to offer.
Another meme humorously depicted OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, reacting to DeepSeek’s success. "Exclusive footage of Sam Altman talking to the OpenAI team after seeing the DeepSeek model," the meme joked, imagining Altman’s reaction as DeepSeek's rapid ascent made waves in the AI world.
Another user noted the financial impact DeepSeek had, saying, "China turned the entire U.S. stock market into a bloodbath with DeepSeek." This statement referenced the significant drop in US tech stocks following DeepSeek’s rise to prominence and the growing concerns over the startup’s impact on the global market.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that the sudden rise of the Chinese app DeepSeek “should be a wake-up call” for American companies developing artificial intelligence as they need to be laser-focused on competing to win.
On the other hand, Australia's science minister raised privacy concerns over China's breakout AI chatbot DeepSeek on Tuesday, urging users to think carefully before downloading it.