What Is AI Distillation And How DeepSeek Used It To Blindside OpenAI

What Is AI Distillation And How DeepSeek Used It To Blindside OpenAI

AI distillation is a way to take knowledge from a big, complex AI model and put it into a smaller, more efficient one. This helps smaller teams build powerful AI models. DeepSeek used this method to create its own AI, which could surprise OpenAI by offering a cheaper, faster, and more accessible option. This might lead to a bigger move toward open-source AI development.

What is AI Distillation?

AI distillation, also called knowledge distillation or model distillation, is a way to transfer knowledge from a big, complex AI model to a smaller, simpler one. The student model doesn’t just copy the teacher’s answers but also learns how it thinks and makes decisions. This helps the smaller model work almost as well as the big one while using less computing power and resources.

How DeepSeek Used It:

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, uses distillation to train its large language models (LLMs), like its DeepSeek-R1 model. By learning from bigger models, DeepSeek has created smaller, more efficient versions that work on more devices and cost less to run. This strategy helps DeepSeek compete with big AI companies like OpenAI, which usually use large, closed-source models.

The “Blindside” to OpenAI:

DeepSeek’s use of distillation has shaken up the AI industry, showing that smaller teams can build powerful AI models with fewer resources. This has caught OpenAI off guard, proving that advanced AI doesn’t always need huge, closed-off models. As a result, there is now more focus on open-source AI, where making technology transparent and accessible is seen as the best way to drive new ideas. Even OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has admitted that DeepSeek’s approach is making them reconsider their closed-source strategy.

Open Source and Accessibility:

DeepSeek’s approach has encouraged a move toward open-source AI, where AI models and code are shared with the public. This helps researchers and developers work together and improve on each other’s ideas. DeepSeek has also released some of its AI model code, showing its strong support for open-source AI.

DeepSeek has shown that AI distillation can be a game-changer, allowing smaller teams to create powerful models with fewer resources. By using this technique, DeepSeek has challenged OpenAI’s traditional approach and pushed the AI industry toward open-source development. This shift could lead to more accessible and collaborative AI advancements in the future.