What is DeepSeek? How to Use It? | The ChatGPT Killer?
In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, new breakthroughs are happening almost every week. Among the latest and most talked-about innovations is DeepSeek—a name that’s been making waves across the AI community and the tech industry at large. Often dubbed the “ChatGPT Killer,” DeepSeek claims to offer not just comparable, but superior capabilities in reasoning, coding, and language understanding.
DeepSeek's models are described as "open weight," meaning the exact parameters are openly shared, although certain usage conditions differ from typical open-source software.[17][18] The company reportedly recruits AI researchers from top Chinese universities[15] and also hires from outside traditional computer science fields to broaden its models' knowledge and capabilities.[12]
But what exactly is DeepSeek? How do you use it? And does it really pose a threat to established AI giants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini?
This comprehensive article will explore DeepSeek’s origin, technical architecture, key features, use cases, and step-by-step usage guide, followed by a comparison with ChatGPT, potential risks, and what the future might hold.
Table of Contents
What is DeepSeek?
Who Created DeepSeek?
The Architecture Behind DeepSeek (MoE & R1)
Key Features and Innovations
How is DeepSeek Different from ChatGPT?
How to Use DeepSeek (Web, API, Local Run)
DeepSeek for Coding and Developers
DeepSeek for Language Understanding & Writing
DeepSeek vs ChatGPT: Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Is DeepSeek Open Source?
DeepSeek in Multilingual Contexts (e.g., Chinese, Tamil, Arabic)
Security, Privacy, and Ethics
Limitations and Challenges
Future of DeepSeek
Is it Really the ChatGPT Killer?
Final Verdict
FAQ Section
Tips & Tricks for Power Users
Real-World Use Cases
Conclusion
1. What is DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is a cutting-edge large language model (LLM) designed to understand, generate, and reason across natural language and code. Built using Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture, DeepSeek aims to deliver superior efficiency and performance compared to traditional dense models.
At its core, DeepSeek is both:
A platform for general AI interaction (like ChatGPT)
A developer-focused engine with fine-tuned capabilities for code, reasoning, and advanced tasks
It supports a wide range of applications: chatbots, document summarization, coding assistants, creative writing, customer service, and more.
2. Who Created DeepSeek?
DeepSeek was developed by DeepSeek AI, a Chinese AI research organization formed by top-tier engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs. The project is part of China’s broader push to compete in global foundational AI models.
DeepSeek AI operates similarly to OpenAI or Anthropic, but with a stronger emphasis on:
Research transparency
Open-source contributions
Multilingual capabilities, especially Chinese and Asian languages
3. The Architecture Behind DeepSeek (MoE & R1)
DeepSeek’s latest model, DeepSeek R1, is a Mixture-of-Experts model boasting:
671 Billion total parameters, with 37 Billion active per token
Efficient routing via 2-of-N expert gating
High scalability and GPU memory optimization
Inspired by models like GShard, Switch Transformers, and Google’s PaLM-E
Why MoE? It allows DeepSeek to be both massive and fast—only activating a few specialized "experts" per input, keeping computation cost low while performance remains high.
4. Key Features and Innovations
DeepSeek brings several innovations to the table:
MoE Routing Intelligence
Code-optimized Training Data
Deep Multilingual Training
Mathematical Reasoning Capabilities
Lightweight Tokenizer for Asian languages
Interactive Plugins and Tool Use (in local/enterprise versions)
5. How is DeepSeek Different from ChatGPT?
| Feature | DeepSeek R1 | ChatGPT (GPT-4.5) |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | MoE | Dense Transformer |
| Parameters | 671B total / 37B active | ~175B |
| Code Understanding | Excellent | Excellent |
| Multilingual | Superior in Asian langs | Good overall |
| API Availability | Limited (beta) | Wide (OpenAI) |
| Open Source | Partially (subset) | Closed-source |
| Speed & Efficiency | Highly optimized | Consistent |
| Cost to Run Locally | Lower (MoE) | Higher |
6. How to Use DeepSeek (Web, API, Local Run)
Option 1: Web Interface
Visit the official DeepSeek web app: https://deepseek.com
Sign up with email or GitHub
Choose between chat, code, or document mode
Input your query, prompt, or file
You can download outputs or continue the conversation
Option 2: API Access
DeepSeek API (currently in invite-only beta)
RESTful endpoints for:
Chat completion
Code generation
Embedding generation
Supports streaming responses
Option 3: Run Locally
You can download open weights (subset models) via Hugging Face
Supported by:
Ollama
LM Studio
LMDeploy
Mac M1/M2 support with performance optimizations
7. DeepSeek for Coding and Developers
DeepSeek excels in:
Explaining and writing Python, JavaScript, Rust, Go, and C++
Debugging code
Writing tests
Understanding APIs from limited documentation
Supporting Jupyter Notebook and VSCode integrations
Sample prompt:
“Write a Python function that finds the longest palindromic substring.”
Result: Accurate, readable code with inline explanations.
8. DeepSeek for Language Understanding & Writing
DeepSeek is also strong in:
Text summarization
Legal & financial language processing
Copywriting
Poetry & prose generation
Language translation (especially Chinese-English)
Example:
"Summarize the main findings of the 2024 WHO COVID report in 200 words."
9. DeepSeek vs ChatGPT: Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Use Case | DeepSeek | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Code Debugging | ✅ Better | ✅ |
| Document Analysis | ✅ Faster | ✅ |
| Chinese Support | ✅✅ Best-in-class | ✅ |
| Plugin Ecosystem | ❌ Not yet | ✅ Advanced |
| Image Input | ❌ Experimental | ✅ (GPT-4o) |
| Voice Interaction | ❌ Not supported | ✅ (GPT-4o) |
10. Is DeepSeek Open Source?
Yes and no.
DeepSeek has released:
Smaller models (e.g., DeepSeekCoder 6.7B)
Tokenizers and inference tools
Datasets used for some training stages
But DeepSeek R1 (671B) is not fully open source—currently used via cloud or enterprise licensing.
11. DeepSeek in Multilingual Contexts
DeepSeek’s multilingual strength, especially in Asian languages, sets it apart:
Deeply trained in Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Supports Tamil, Hindi, Arabic, Korean, Japanese
Accurate named entity recognition in regional contexts
Adjusts tone for formality, business, or culture
12. Security, Privacy, and Ethics
DeepSeek’s public deployment includes:
End-to-end encryption (web)
Enterprise on-premise licensing
Data not used for retraining unless opted in
Adheres to China’s AI regulatory compliance standards
No known data leaks as of mid-2025
13. Limitations and Challenges
Less plugin and ecosystem integration than OpenAI
Limited voice or image input
Ongoing language tuning required for niche languages
Still building international community and documentation
14. Future of DeepSeek
Upcoming features (as teased by the team):
DeepSeek R2 with better world knowledge
Voice agent for Android/iOS
LLM agents with autonomous task loops
Deepsite – website builder powered by DeepSeek
Enterprise IDE plugins
15. Is it Really the ChatGPT Killer?
The answer depends on what you need:
✅ If you want code writing, multilingual support, and open/local use → DeepSeek may be better than ChatGPT.
❌ If you need voice, image, and plugin ecosystem → ChatGPT is still ahead.
Verdict: It’s not a killer, but a true rival—especially in Asia and the open-source developer scene.
16. Final Verdict
DeepSeek is one of the most exciting AI projects of 2025.
It is:
Technically impressive
Efficient to run
Open to community input
Friendly for coders and creators
Rapidly evolving
If you haven't tried it yet, you're missing one of the most promising alternatives to ChatGPT.
17. FAQ Section
Q: Can I use DeepSeek on my MacBook?
A: Yes! Use LM Studio or Ollama to run local DeepSeek models on Apple Silicon.
Q: Is there a mobile app?
A: Not yet, but browser-based versions work well on mobile.
Q: Does it support plugins?
A: Not currently, but roadmap suggests plugin support soon.
18. Tips & Tricks for Power Users
Use precise prompts for better outputs
Run DeepSeek locally with 8-bit quantized models to save VRAM
Use it alongside VS Code for real-time coding assistance
Combine with open-source UI (e.g., OpenWebUI) for better UX
19. Real-World Use Cases
Students using it for assignments and research
Developers building apps and debugging code
Writers generating blogs, poetry, and stories
Translators handling dual-language business docs
Small businesses creating websites (via Deepsite)
20. Conclusion
DeepSeek is more than a buzzword—it’s a game-changing LLM platform.
Whether you’re a developer looking for a smarter coding assistant, a writer exploring AI-powered content, or a student curious about cutting-edge AI—DeepSeek offers a fast, accurate, and customizable alternative to the usual players.
It may not kill ChatGPT, but it certainly makes the game more exciting.
