DeepSeek is one of the newest AI names. This new Chinese AI model was released on January 10, 2025, and has taken the world by storm. Within days, it shot to the top of Apple's Top Free Apps Chart, quickly outranking ChatGPT’s mobile app.
DeepSeek’s rapid rise attracted the attention of tech enthusiasts and investors. As DeepSeek’s stock value increased, competitors like Nvidia and Oracle suffered significant losses, all within a single day after its release.
In this article, we will go deeper with DeepSeek. Let's see what it is and what it can do. Also, if you'd like to check its differences with ChatGPT, there's it.
In this article
Part 1: What is DeepSeek?
As we already know, DeepSeek is an artificial intelligence company based in Hangzhou, China. Not much is known about its founder, Liang Wenfeng, besides the fact that he graduated from Zheijiang University in May 2023. A few months later, Liang released the company’s first model in November 2023.
DeepSeek emerged to advance AI and make it accessible to users worldwide. With this goal in mind, DeepSeek focuses on developing open-source LLMs (large language models). This is one of the things that sets DeepSeek apart from its competitors like ChatGPT, who choose to keep their most advanced models closed-source.
DeepSeek’s latest model, R1, is a reasoning model. This model answers questions gradually, mimicking how humans think through problems or ideas. DeepSeek is trained on vast amounts of data to process queries and generate text. Like most other LLMs, DeepSeek also serves a diverse user base, including:
- Researchers: leverage DeepSeek for data analysis and research tasks.
- Software developers: DeepSeek Coder helps developers with code generation, programming assistance, and debugging.
- Individual users: use DeepSeek for everyday functions like problem-solving, analysis, and writing.
- Businesses: integrate DeepSeek’s capabilities to simplify workflows and ask for AI-generated strategies to excel.
Part 2: DeepSeek VS OpenAI: What’s the difference?
The global success of DeepSeek represents the latest challenge to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Although the two companies offer similar products, their key differences lie in their approaches.
| OpenAI | DeepSeek | |
| Founding Year | 2015 | 2023 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California | Hangzhou, China |
| Development Focus | Broadening AI capabilities | Increasing AI accessibility through open-source models |
| Specialized Models | Dall-E (image generation), Whisper (speech recognition) | Janus Pro (vision model), DeepSeek Coder (coding model) |
| Key Models | GPT-40, 01 | DeepSeek-V3, DeepSeek-R1 |
| Open Source Policy | Limited/Proprietary | Mostly open source |
| Model Training Approach | Instruction-based fine-tuning | Reinforcement learning |
| Core Strengths | Conversational AI, creative writing | Advanced logical reasoning, mathematical problem-solving |
| Use Cases | Chat, content creation, education | Research and structured reasoning |
Now that we’ve established the fundamental differences between OpenAI ChatGPT and DeepSeek let’s expand on the core strengths of each software.
Strengths of DeepSeek
- The DeepSeek coder helps with coding tasks and has a strong performance.
- Its open-source availability greatly enhances its accessibility.
- Increased focus on scientific and research-oriented tasks.
- Flexible deployment options for different computational requirements.
Strengths of ChatGPT
- More refined model due to its real-world testing and training.
- Specialized integrated tools and plugins.
- Broader knowledge of everyday tasks.
- More extensive user base and community.
Part 3: Key Features of DeepSeek
When considering DeepSeek as an AI solution, how can we forget its pros and cons? Let's find out what exactly makes DeepSeek seek.
- Natural language processing: Understands human language and generates topics in simple terms. It can also translate between multiple languages.
- 236 billion parameters: Sets the foundation for superior AI performance across various tasks like problem-solving.
- High context length: Handles detailed inputs and outputs easily with up to 128K token support.
- Cost-effective API: Affordable prices to ensure accessibility to a broader user base.
- summarise and extract key information from large datasets.
Advantages
- Open-source flexibility
- Various scalable models
- Strong technical performance
- Specialized scientific expertise
Limitations
- Limited integration options
- Smaller community size and resources
- Less extensive real-world testing
- Less comprehensive documentation scope
Part 4: How to Use DeepSeek AI?
There are three common ways to access DeepSeek: the website, mobile app, and local installation. Let’s see how to access DeepSeek using each method.
Note: In certain countries or regions, rules or regulations (or even laws) are released to warn people not to use DeekSeek. So, we strongly suggest you check the local laws before you use DeekSeek to avoid breaking the laws.
1. Web Platform
Looking for a ChatGPT-like experience? This method may be the one for you. Simply navigate to DeepSeek’s official website. This will let you use the AI chatbot directly in your browser, just as you would ChatGPT. You can create an account by adding a phone number/email address, and password. Alternatively, sign in with Google to get started.
2. Mobile Application
Do you want an efficient, research-oriented AI assistant on the go? DeepSeek’s mobile application is your answer. The app is available for download on iOS and Android. It can also be downloaded via the Get DeepSeek App option on the main website. Simply drag your cursor on the text and scan the QR code on your mobile to get the app.
3. Local Installation
Users looking for offline access to DeepSeek can also install it locally. This will help them have enhanced control over their data and more accessibility.
However, while local installation has many benefits, this method is a little tricky. You’ll first need to prepare your PC for installation. This ensures that no compatibility issues occur during the software installation process.
The steps would be as follows.
- Install a third-party LLM installation tool (Ollama, Character AI, etc.)
- Download the DeepSeek-R1 model
- Run DeepSeek locally.
Part 5: Creating Mind Maps with DeepSeek AI and EdrawMind
By now, we’ve seen that DeepSeek AI is a powerful tool for reasoning, problem-solving, and content generation. However, it doesn’t have built-in capacities when it comes to creating visual mind maps.
That’s where EdrawMind comes in. Combining DeepSeek’s structured outputs with EdrawMind’s visualization tools, you can effortlessly create detailed and interactive mind maps.
You can start by asking DeepSeek to outline a mind map on project management.
“Create an outline for a mind map on project management, covering key phases like planning, execution, and monitoring.”
Using broad prompts within AI mind-mapping tools can sometimes lead to generic results. However, chatbots like DeepSeek help generate structured, detailed outlines with the same prompts, a strong foundation for an organized mind map.
For example, asking EdrawMind to generate a “project management mind map” might give you a basic structure. But by first using DeepSeek, you can extract more in-depth and relevant information before transferring it to EdrawMind.
EdrawMind Mind Map Example
After generating an outline, follow these steps to create your mind map.
Step 1
Launch EdrawMind on your PC or use its online version.
Step 2
Navigate to Gallery on the left-hand panel. Search project management and select a mind map template to get started.
Step 3
Once on the canvas, copy the key points from DeepSeek's outline and paste them as main branches.
Step 4
Add subtopics and adjust the hierarchy as needed for clarity.
Step 5
Navigate to the Export icon on the top toolbar. Select your preferred file format and download your mind map. Alternatively, you can share it with your team through Share.
Final Words
And there you have it! A detailed review DeepSeek review covering everything from its background overview to how to integrate it with third-party tools like EdrawMind for content optimisation.
DeepSeek is undoubtedly a revolution in the AI world, but it can’t create mind maps on its own. Integrating it with EdrawMind results in more streamlined research, planning, and brainstorming. Whether planning a project or clarifying university topics, combining these tools makes the process smooth like butter.
EdrawMind
AppsEdrawMind Online
References:
- https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-deepseek-ai-what-is-it-how-to-use-and-everything-else-you-need-to-know-3731188/
- https://www.getguru.com/reference/deepseek
- https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/DeepSeek-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know
- https://slidespeak.co/blog/2025/02/14/deepseek-ai-review-2025/
- https://10web.io/ai-tools/deepseek/
