Bloomberg reported that Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is developing an advanced artificial intelligence agent model aimed at rivaling U.S. giants like OpenAI, with a planned release in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Hangzhou-based company, founded by Liang Wenfeng in July 2023, is designing this model to perform complex, multi-step tasks with minimal human input, learning and improving from past actions. This move positions DeepSeek at the forefront of the global race to create autonomous AI agents, considered the next evolution of AI technology.
Unlike traditional chatbots, DeepSeek’s new model will execute sophisticated tasks such as researching travel plans or debugging code, aligning with industry trends seen in recent agent-focused releases from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft. The model builds on DeepSeek’s January 2025 release of DeepSeek-R1, a reasoning-focused model that matched OpenAI’s o1 in benchmarks like MATH-500, costing just $6 million to train compared to over $100 million for OpenAI’s GPT-4. DeepSeek’s efficiency stems from innovative techniques like mixture-of-experts (MoE) layers and optimized chip use, despite U.S. export controls limiting access to advanced Nvidia chips. The company leveraged a stockpile of 10,000 A100 chips and lower-power H800 chips to achieve this.
The upcoming agent model, not yet named, is expected to enhance DeepSeek’s reputation for cost-effective, high-performing AI. X posts reflect excitement, with users like @zijing_wu noting China’s push to triple AI chip production to support DeepSeek’s ambitions, including native support for the UE8M0 FP8 format for faster processing. However, some skepticism persists, with posts citing DeepSeek’s relatively slow pace of updates compared to rivals like Alibaba’s Qwen. The company has also implemented strict policies, mandating visible and hidden markers like “AI-generated” labels to prevent misuse, backed by Chinese regulations.
DeepSeek’s focus on AI agents aligns with a broader industry shift toward automation, though current agents often require significant oversight. The Q4 2025 release could intensify competition, especially as OpenAI faces scrutiny over high development costs. If successful, DeepSeek’s model may further disrupt the AI landscape, building on its R1 success that triggered a $1 trillion tech stock sell-off in January 2025, including a record $593 billion single-day loss for Nvidia. As DeepSeek advances, its open-source approach and efficiency could redefine global AI innovation.
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