Intensifying race

The rise of DeepSeek—a Chinese-made artificial intelligence model—has taken the tech world by surprise and shock alike.

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It has become the most downloaded free app on the Apple Store. Experts and investors are still struggling to wrap their heads around its surge. DeepSeek's rapid success has also sent shockwaves through the stock market. US firm Nvidia lost nearly USD 600 billion in market value in a single day—the worst one-day loss in US history.

DeepSeek has claimed to be more efficient when compared to industry standards. Unlike industry leaders like OpenAI, it was reportedly built at a fraction of the cost by using fewer advanced chips. This development has cast a shadow of doubt over Washington's restrictions on AI-related exports to China. The US has tried to limit Beijing's access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology, but DeepSeek's success suggests that China is finding its way around these barriers.