
The launch of DeepSeek-R1, a cost-effective, open-source large language model (LLM) by Chinese startup DeepSeek, is shaking up the AI landscape by offering high-quality tools at a fraction of the cost of Western competitors. While this democratizes access to advanced AI and could spark a wave of open-source innovation, it has also triggered significant concern in the West over data privacy, censorship, and potential misuse.