DeepSeek, an AI-based chatbot from China, has just scored a major achievement by becoming the number one app on the Google Play Store. This success marks an intense competition in the AI world, where DeepSeek is now starting to rival ChatGPT’s dominance.
With its open-source approach, cost-efficiency, and attractive features, it has caught the attention of global users. However, behind its success, there have been challenges and controversies that have accompanied DeepSeek’s journey to the top.
DeepSeek Achieves Number 1 in Google Play Store
According to a report from Tech Crunch, app analytics company AppFigures reported that since its launch in mid-January, DeepSeek has been downloaded more than 1.2 million times on the Play Store and more than 1.9 million times on the App Store worldwide.
However, this number is likely higher, as DeepSeek shows labels indicating more than 5 million downloads.
DeepSeek’s rise to the top of the Play Store and App Store shows that Chinese AI models can compete with Western AI companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta, and Google.
The Chinese company states that their AI model has a lower cost than OpenAI and Meta models, and uses simpler AI chips.
The DeepSeek app provides a chatbot as an alternative to ChatGPT, which uses the V3 model. Users can utilize this chatbot to analyze documents, answer questions, and obtain information from the internet.
This free app also allows users to upload files and synchronize conversation history across different devices.
While DeepSeek currently tops the rankings, it would need to reach 300 million users every week to surpass OpenAI’s ChatGPT in terms of long-term popularity in the world of AI chatbot apps.
In recent days, DeepSeek has attracted significant attention from the industry sector, with startups such as Perplexity and Gloo (a new company founded by former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger) having adopted DeepSeek into their services.
Feedback and Impact of DeepSeek’s Popularity
DeepSeek’s success has sparked a variety of reactions. Donald Trump called DeepSeek’s launch a “wake-up call” for the American tech industry. After causing a $1 trillion drop in the value of the US stock market. OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, recognized DeepSeek’s superiority and announced plans to accelerate development in response.
However, DeepSeek’s popularity has also been accompanied by controversy. The app provides alarming responses to political questions about human rights and Taiwan. Reflects the influence of Chinese Communist Party values.
In addition, DeepSeek faced a large-scale cyberattack that disrupted the new user registration process. According to experts, it may be a DDoS attack or other cyber threats.
