What is DeepSeek and How to Use It

DeepSeek Starting Page

What is DeepSeek

DeepSeek is a free chatbot created in China. It is powered by artificial intelligence and performs all the same functions as ChatGPT: generating texts, writing code, answering questions, and solving tasks.

The chatbot gained significant fame after the release of its latest version, the R1 reasoning model. Instead of simply responding to user prompts, this model reasons and solves problems step by step. In simple terms, it multiplies ten-digit numbers using the column method as a human would, rather than instantly like a calculator. The key advantage of this AI model is more accurate calculations and the absence of hallucinations caused by overly long prompts.

DeepSeek’s real breakthrough was making the chatbot 15 times cheaper than its competitors. While OpenAI spent $100 million on ChatGPT, DeepSeek cost its creators just $6 million. According to the company, this was achieved by:

• Storing only 8 digits after the decimal point instead of 32, saving 75% of memory;

• Reading entire phrases instead of words, making processing twice as fast while maintaining 90% accuracy;

• Distributing prompts among “expert” neural networks dedicated to specific domains, activating only 37 billion out of its 671 billion parameters for each response.

Who is behind DeepSeek

DeepSeek was developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co., Ltd., a Chinese company founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, a graduate of Zhejiang University specializing in electronic information engineering and computer science. He is also the head of High-Flyer, China’s first quantitative trading hedge fund, established in 2019. The fund analyzes financial data using neural networks to determine investment opportunities.

The exact relationship between Liang Wenfeng’s projects is unclear. According to him, High-Flyer invested in DeepSeek and even provided its first employees. Both companies share the same office building. High-Flyer’s 2022 WeChat post claimed they managed a cluster of 10,000 A100 chips. Since such chips can no longer be sold in China, it is possible that DeepSeek was trained using High-Flyer’s computational resources.

What Can DeepSeek Do

DeepSeek functions as an AI-powered chatbot and can process up to 128,000 tokens in a single prompt, equivalent to about 300 pages. For users, interacting with the Chinese app feels very similar to ChatGPT or Gemini: you send a prompt and receive a text response. You can also attach images or documents.

DeepSeek can:

• Answer questions;

• Provide advice;

• Search for online information;

• Generate texts of various genres and lengths;

• Translate;

• Come up with creative ideas;

• Write and format code;

• Solve problems;

• Make predictions and simulations;

• Entertain users.

When answering a prompt, DeepSeek generates text without using external sources; this means responses aren’t always meaningful. However, switching to Search or DeepThink modes will provide you with more informative answers. DeepSeek can also explain its reasoning, but these advanced modes slow down response times.

The main limitation of DeepSeek stems from its country of origin. The chatbot does not answer questions about China’s domestic politics, such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

How to Use DeepSeek

You can download DeepSeek from Google Play and the App Store. A web version is also available on the official website. The app is free worldwide and can be accessed without a proxy or VPN. However, DeepSeek sometimes temporarily disables new registrations due to massive DDoS attacks. If you don’t see a sign-up option, check back in a few hours.

DeepSeek Web Version Interface

The chatbot offers three modes:

1. Standard mode: generates text without using external sources.

The first draft seemed too promotional, so we requested a more personal rewrite

2. Online Search mode: the AI searches the web and provides answers based on gathered data.

We asked DeepSeek to search online for statistics on how organic pet food prevents illnesses. The chatbot provided findings with source links and highlighted key numbers

3. DeepThink mode: the AI solves tasks step by step, explaining its reasoning.

We enabled DeepThink and asked it to create a content plan for our account for a month. The model took 33 seconds and explained its thought process

How DeepSeek Differs from ChatGPT

More than 100 million users are familiar with ChatGPT, making it the most popular chatbot. We compared the capabilities of the new neural network with ChatGPT. Here is how American and Chinese LLMs differ:

• Price: All DeepSeek features are free, whereas some ChatGPT features require a paid subscription.

• Prompt limits: DeepSeek currently has no limits; the free ChatGPT tier imposes time-based restrictions.

• Open-source code: DeepSeek developers have published their code, allowing free integration into projects.

• Data relevance: DeepSeek’s knowledge is up to date as of July 2024; ChatGPT’s is limited to September 2021.

• Communication style: DeepSeek explains why it generated a specific response, making conversations feel more “human.”

• Geographical restrictions: ChatGPT is unavailable in some countries; DeepSeek is accessible worldwide.

• Censorship: DeepSeek omits answers on China’s internal politics; ChatGPT has no such restrictions.

• Language proficiency: ChatGPT generates English texts more fluently; DeepSeek’s primary language is Chinese.

The main difference between DeepSeek and ChatGPT is accessibility: DeepSeek is free, without limits, and open source.

How to Use DeepSeek for Affiliate Marketing

The neural network can assist affiliates by helping them:

• Find relevant niches. DeepSeek’s 2024 training data can reveal promising niches with low competition.

• Identify effective traffic-generation tools. Provide context about your niche, goals, and past efforts.

• Suggest alternative platforms. If your niche is saturated, DeepSeek can recommend less-competitive channels (e.g., Lemon8 for pet products).

• Develop an action plan. DeepSeek can advise on account setup and generate an initial content plan.

• Create content. Generate social media posts, video scripts, article outlines, or data for infographics. Specify your audience, tone, and desired action.

DeepSeek can be used at all stages of affiliate marketing as a virtual assistant, idea generator, copywriter, and data analyst. Interact with it like a person, provide relevant context, and work step by step to achieve the best results.