DeepSeek in UAE: AI Market Disruptor
The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced new players to the market, with the latest contender, DeepSeek, making waves in the industry. Setting a new benchmark in AI models' performance and cost-effectiveness, residents of the United Arab Emirates are showing increasing interest in it. But can this model truly compete with American giants like OpenAI and ChatGPT?
What makes DeepSeek special?
DeepSeek's biggest advantage is its cost-effectiveness: developed with just 5.6 million dollars, a fraction of what American AI model giants spend. Despite this, users claim DeepSeek offers more natural responses, is less repetitive, and even boasts a unique feature: "Deepthink R1," which provides insight into the AI's thought process. This transparency might attract those who wish to understand the reasoning behind certain answers better.
According to a student living in Ajman, DeepSeek offers more human-like communication:
"I've been using ChatGPT for months, and it has been reliable for daily tasks. But after trying DeepSeek, I noticed some interesting differences. For instance, its responses are more natural, while ChatGPT sometimes maintains an 'AI tone'—helpful but formulaic. DeepSeek, on the other hand, avoids this robotic tone and feels closer to a human conversation."
Challenges of the launch
Although DeepSeek quickly gained popularity, its launch was overshadowed by technical problems. A large-scale cyberattack prevented many users from downloading or registering the application.
A resident of Dubai shared that after discovering DeepSeek during research on AI tools, he was excited to try it but was met with an error message:
"Registration is currently overwhelmed due to large-scale attacks on DeepSeek. Please try again later."
In addition, delivery of activation codes was delayed, with some users having to wait three hours.
AI democratization and price competition
One of the most significant impacts DeepSeek might have on the AI market is enabling smaller players to enter by reducing development costs. In addition to accelerating technological innovation, it could initiate significant market reshuffling.
According to the CEO of Ombori, DeepSeek lowers the cost of deploying advanced AI solutions, especially in countries like the UAE, where American export restrictions make specific hardware less accessible.
"These developments allow us to achieve the same or even better results with less computing capacity. Thus, AI becomes more widely accessible, potentially promoting global collaboration."
Panic or opportunity?
The market appearance of DeepSeek has surprised technology investors. Shares of Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta have shown declines, indicating that investors fear new models might ignite price wars.
According to the chief investment strategist at Saxo Bank, despite short-term reactions, the AI market's future remains stable:
"DeepSeek has proven that AI costs can be reduced, encouraging smaller developers in the long term. The key is to remain calm and diversify because the story of AI development is just beginning."
DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT: Which is better?
As it stands, choosing between DeepSeek and ChatGPT primarily depends on user preferences and availability.
a. DeepSeek's advantages: more natural responses, unique thought transparency, cheaper development costs.
b. ChatGPT's advantages: stable operation, greater reliability, broader integration with other systems.
Conclusion
DeepSeek is clearly an exciting contender in the AI market, and if it resolves its initial technical challenges, it could become a significant player in the UAE. The question is no longer if AI will develop, but how quickly and at what costs this transformation will occur.
