Review of DeepSeek's Popularity During the Spring Festival

On January 20, 2025, DeepSeek officially unveiled its latest R1 model.

DeepSeek (Chinese name: 深搜) is an artificial intelligence model developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek AI Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd. "DeepSeek" can be translated as "Deep" (deep reflection) and "Seek" (explore), symbolizing the exploration of unknown realms through advanced deep learning technology.

Upon release, DeepSeek demonstrated performance on par with OpenAI's GPT-4 model. Overall, it is a robust product offering high flexibility, open-source capabilities, customization options, and minimal usage costs.

DeepSeek swiftly ascended to the top of download charts in app stores across 140 global markets, surpassing well-known products like ChatGPT on the free charts of the Apple App Store in both China and the US.

During the Spring Festival, DeepSeek became a global phenomenon. Dinner conversations buzzed with endless discussions about this remarkable product – DeepSeek making Americans take notice, surpassing OpenAI, breaking through US chip restrictions, the failure of the US's "walled garden" sanctions strategy, and venture capitalists collectively missing out on DeepSeek...

The US Faces a "Sputnik Moment"

No developer can resist a technological solution that slashes costs by several orders of magnitude. DeepSeek continues to enjoy massive downloads and usage worldwide.

Furthermore, as the R1 model is fully open-source, developers and researchers globally have unrestricted access to modify and build upon its code. From independent developers to research teams from numerous universities and enterprises, everyone is engaging in their own research based on DeepSeek's latest model.

DeepSeek significantly reduced the reliance on graphics cards and computing power during training, disclosing in its paper that it did not utilize NVIDIA's most potent hardware facilities. On January 27, the US stock market opened with a steep decline, with technology stocks bearing the brunt. NVIDIA's share price plummeted by 16.86% on that day, erasing approximately $590 billion in market value in a single day, setting a record for the largest one-day market value drop in US stock market history.

From former US President Trump to Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, and scientists across various fields, all have weighed in, making this a focal point of attention at the time.

Analysts highlighted that DeepSeek's latest advancements were a pivotal factor behind the market turmoil. Its emergence shattered the long-standing US monopoly in the AI field, sounding the alarm in the US tech sector.

When reporting on DeepSeek, US media frequently invoked the term "Sputnik Moment".

In 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched the world's first artificial satellite, "Sputnik 1," which profoundly impacted the US, prompting it to push itself and initiate the "Apollo Moon Landing Program".

Currently, Americans liken DeepSeek's breakthrough to the "Sputnik Moment," both recognizing DeepSeek's technological prowess and hinting that the AI competition between China and the US has only just commenced.

Proposing the "Most Radical Legislation" Against Chinese AI

US Senator Josh Hawley recently introduced a bill titled the "Decoupling America's Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act".

The bill's core objective is to prohibit US citizens and companies from importing or utilizing any AI technology and intellectual property related to China, making it illegal to download and use Chinese AI models (such as DeepSeek).

According to the bill, any individual or enterprise that "knowingly" imports AI capabilities or generative AI technology developed in China faces up to 20 years in prison, with a maximum fine of $1 million for individuals and $100 million for corporations.

US senators cited the release of DeepSeek as the direct catalyst for the proposed bill. DeepSeek, described as a 'low-cost, data-collecting AI model,' has not only sparked international concern but also caused a significant downturn in US technology stocks.

The bill has sparked widespread attention and controversy. Most critics argue that the legislators' motives are not purely grounded in national security or technological competition considerations. Rather, the bill appears to be more about resisting China's technological advancements than addressing genuine security issues.

However, perhaps due to the extreme nature of many of the proposal's contents, it has been "temporarily shelved." And "temporarily shelved" often signifies that the proposal has lost much of its momentum and support during the advancement process.