A small Chinese firm named DeepSeek is causing a sensation in the West in 2025 as it releases several highly acclaimed artificial intelligence models that rival—or even outperform—its U.S. counterparts. DeepSeek’s app holds the No. 1 position in Apple’s App Store, and its ascent is sending stocks on a roller coaster ride.

What makes DeepSeek different? Some are applauding how easy the AI is to work with. Others are heralding capabilities and performance. A few commentators are even calling DeepSeek’s debut a ‘Sputnik moment for AI.’

Here to help the public understand DeepSeek’s emergence and what it means for our world is Mark Finlayson, a professor at Florida International University (FIU) and one of the country’s top researchers of artificial intelligence.

Read more at FIU News.