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DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT rap battle: Which AI assistant spits better bars?

27:43
The Icons for the smartphone apps DeepSeek and ChatGPT are seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
The Icons for the smartphone apps DeepSeek and ChatGPT are seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

In 2022, people around the world freaked out at the advent of ChatGPT, OpenAI's chatbot. In under three years, artificial intelligence has been incorporated almost everywhere in our online lives. But training the large language models, or LLMs, that power these AI assistants is hugely expensive. Or is it? Last month, a Chinese startup called DeepSeek released their own AI app for much less money, potentially with huge economic and geopolitical implications. Endless Thread hosts a rap battle to help you understand why these AI companies are beefing.

Show notes:

"Trying to get Deepseek to talk about 'Tank Man'" (Reddit)

"DeepSeek Doesn’t Want to Talk About Tiananmen Square. Here’s What to Know" (Bloomberg)

"DeepSeek is giving the world a window into Chinese censorship and information control" (CNN)

Correction: A previous version of this episode incorrectly identified the brand of specialized chip used by DeepSeek. This episode now includes an update explaining the error.

This content was originally created for audio. An auto-generated transcript is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Heads up that some elements (i.e. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text.

Headshot of Ben Brock Johnson
Ben Brock Johnson Director, Digital Audio

Ben Brock Johnson is the director of digital audio at WBUR and co-host of the podcast, Endless Thread.

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Headshot of Amory Sivertson
Amory Sivertson Host and Senior Producer, Podcasts

Amory Sivertson is a senior producer for podcasts and the co-host of Endless Thread.

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Headshot of Paul Vaitkus
Paul Vaitkus Manager of Podcast Production

Paul Vaitkus is the manager of podcast production for WBUR.

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