China’s DeepSeek AI app has officially passed ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store in the U.S.

 

 

China’s DeepSeek AI app has officially passed ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store in the U.S.

The buzz took off after the release of R1, a reasoning model developed for just $5.6 million — a fraction of what OpenAI has invested. Plus, R1 is open-source and completely free, compared to ChatGPT’s $200/month Pro plan.⁠

DeepSeek’s rise has investors on edge, with NVIDIA’s stock taking a hit amid concerns about growing competition from China’s AI sector. Other tech companies are also feeling the heat as open-source models like R1 shake up the AI landscape.⁠

It’s a big moment in the global AI race, with China positioning itself as a serious contender by focusing on affordability and accessibility.