DeepSeek: the AI app outpacing ChatGPT
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) app DeepSeek has climbed to the top of Apple's App Store rankings as the highest-rated free app in the US, UK, and China, surpassing ChatGPT and other competitors.
Since its launch in January, DeepSeek's popularity has soared. The app runs on the open-source DeepSeek-V3 model, which its developers claim was built for less than $6 million – a fraction of the billions invested by rival companies. However, this cost estimate has been met with scepticism by others in the AI community.
Earlier this month, the company released DeepSeek-R1, asserting it delivers "performance on par with" one of OpenAI's latest ChatGPT models for tasks such as mathematics, coding, and natural language reasoning.
Marc Andreessen, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and advisor to Donald Trump, described DeepSeek-R1 as "AI's Sputnik moment".
Energy stocks are tumbling amid the launch of DeepSeek as this innovation has triggered fears that demand for energy-intensive AI infrastructure could falter, sending ripples through the markets.
Nigel Green, CEO, deVere Group says this isn’t a sign of decline – it’s a transformation: “DeepSeek’s breakthrough signals a shift toward efficiency in AI, which will redefine both energy and AI markets. The opportunities for investors willing to act now are enormous.
“DeepSeek’s model combines cutting-edge algorithms to slash the energy demands of AI training and deployment.
“This challenges the assumption that AI’s growth is tied to ever-increasing energy consumption. While the market is reacting to short-term uncertainty, efficiency-driven AI models will expand adoption into new markets and industries.
“This means more widespread use, deeper integration, and ultimately, sustained demand for energy solutions.”
Renewable energy providers, in particular, are poised to gain as AI infrastructure evolves to prioritise sustainability and ROI. While the immediate reaction in energy stocks reflects uncertainty, the long-term outlook remains robust.
Companies driving innovation at the intersection of AI and clean energy will emerge as the leaders of this new era.
Green continues: “I believe that markets are missing the bigger picture.
“Efficiency doesn’t shrink demand – it diversifies it. DeepSeek’s breakthrough will accelerate AI adoption and create massive opportunities for investors who focus on the sectors driving this transformation.”