DeepSeek AI Breaks Google Trends Records, Challenging ChatGPT

The latest release of the Chinese AI model DeepSeek has sent shockwaves through the media and stock markets, challenging the massive investments made in Western AI firms. Given its reported development costs, DeepSeek’s rapid rise has thrown into question the financial sustainability of its competitors.

According to Finbold research, DeepSeek’s Google Trends global score surged fiftyfold in just one week, reaching the maximum score of 100 by Monday, January 27. While China saw the highest level of interest, the model also outpaced ChatGPT in the U.S.—a significant milestone in the AI race.

Hong Kong ranked second in DeepSeek-related searches, followed by Singapore, Tunisia, Morocco, Nepal, Algeria, Ethiopia, Jordan, and Kenya. Google Trends scores stood at 100 in China, 22 in Hong Kong, 16 in Singapore, and 6 in the U.S., reflecting DeepSeek’s growing international traction.

As DeepSeek’s influence expands, its impact on global AI development, investment strategies, and market dynamics remains a focal point of industry discussion.

DeepSeek’s popularity also emerges outside Google Trends

The surge in interest was also evident on the Play Store, where the DeepSeek app took the top spot, leading to sufficient volume – and possibly a cyberattack – to ensure access is restricted to users with a Chinese phone number.

Additionally, the emergence of a new major player in the AI industry triggered a stock market bloodbath, with the semiconductor giant Nvidia (NVDA) being hit particularly hard and losing approximately $600 billion in market capitalization – the single biggest one-company valuation drop in a single day.

Elsewhere, the tumult triggered some calls for a ban or restrictions on Chinese technology, akin to the tariffs and other protectionist measures imposed on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers.

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