What is DeepSeek R1, called ‘AI’s Sputnik moment’ by Marc Andreessen?

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup founded in late 2023, has taken the tech world by storm with its new AI model, DeepSeek R1. The model rivals leading systems like OpenAI’s GPT-4, Meta’s Llama and Google’s Gemini, but what sets it apart is its staggering cost-efficiency. Developed with a mere USD 5.6 million budget, DeepSeek R1 operates at a fraction of the cost typically associated with cutting-edge AI systems, which often require hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.