ChatGPT loses top spot to Chinese AI app DeepSeek on App Store rankings

Chinese startup DeepSeek's AI assistant on Monday became the top-rated free application on Apple's App Store in the United States, overtaking ChatGPT.

The app, powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, gained significant traction among U.S. users since its release on Jan. 10, according to data from Sensor Tower.

DeepSeek-V3's developers claim the model rivals advanced closed-source AI models globally and leads among open-source models. The app's success has raised questions in Silicon Valley about U.S. export controls aimed at limiting China's access to advanced chips and AI technology.

DeepSeek researchers disclosed in a paper that the DeepSeek-V3 model was trained using Nvidia's H800 chips at a cost of less than $6 million. Although this claim has been contested, it has sparked debate over the effectiveness of restrictions on chip exports to China.

The Hangzhou-based company, founded in 2023, is among several Chinese firms developing AI models. DeepSeek is the first to receive recognition from the U.S. tech industry as competing with leading AI models developed by U.S. companies.