Key Points
- Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is gaining popularity in developing nations.
- Its free and open-source model is helping to narrow the global AI adoption gap.
- DeepSeek’s market share is 89% in China and is growing in Russia, Iran, and Africa.
- The AI’s answers to political questions reflect Chinese internet censorship.
DeepSeek, the Chinese startup that is quickly becoming a major rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is making big waves in the developing world. According to a new report from Microsoft, the free and “open source” nature of DeepSeek’s AI models is helping to narrow the gap in AI adoption between rich and poor countries.
The report found that global use of generative AI tools is increasing, but the divide between developed and developing nations is widening. People in wealthy countries are adopting AI almost twice as fast.
However, DeepSeek is starting to change that. Because the company offers its chatbot for free and allows developers to access and modify its core technology, it has “lowered the barrier for millions of users, especially in price-sensitive regions.”
This has allowed DeepSeek to gain a strong foothold in markets that have been “underserved by Western AI platforms.” While adoption of DeepSeek is low in North America and Europe, it has surged in China, Russia, Iran, and many African countries. In China, DeepSeek’s market share is a staggering 89%. In Russia, it’s around 43%, and in some African nations, it’s between 11% and 14%.
Microsoft’s researchers noted that DeepSeek’s rise isn’t just about price. In many of these countries, it is the default chatbot on phones made by Chinese companies such as Huawei. The report also warned that this could have geopolitical implications.
While DeepSeek is a “good model” for tasks such as mathematics and coding, it answers political questions very differently from U.S.-based models, reflecting China’s strict internet controls. “Open-source AI can function as a geopolitical instrument, extending Chinese influence in areas where Western platforms cannot easily operate,” the report said.
