DeepSeek and ChatGPT: Who is the current “king” of AI?

In the era of artificial intelligence, Large Language Models (LLMs) are becoming the center of attention, not only in the technology research community but also in everyday life. In recent years, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has emerged as one of the most powerful and popular conversational AIs in the world, quickly gaining hundreds of millions of users thanks to its impressive natural language processing capabilities. However, ChatGPT is not the only option. DeepSeek AI has created a strong wave of interest thanks to its speed, competitive cost and flexible application capabilities.

So between DeepSeek AI and ChatGPT, which is the superior tool? Is DeepSeek strong enough to compete and replace ChatGPT in some areas, or does ChatGPT still maintain its leading position thanks to its stability and strong ecosystem? This article will analyze and compare the two AI models in detail to help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each side and from there choose the tool that suits your needs.

1. Overview of DeepSeek AI and ChatGPT

1.1. What is DeepSeek AI?

DeepSeek AI is an artificial intelligence model developed by a Chinese technology company. Although it was born later than ChatGPT, DeepSeek quickly attracted attention thanks to its strategy of focusing on performance and cost. DeepSeek's goal is to provide a powerful, resource-saving AI solution that can be easily applied in many fields from research, business to content creation.

DeepSeek stands out for its high-speed processing capabilities, especially when compared to models of similar scale. DeepSeek's training technology is optimized to make efficient use of hardware, reducing operating costs without sacrificing accuracy. This is an important factor that makes DeepSeek highly appreciated in the context of large AI models that often consume huge amounts of resources.

In addition, DeepSeek also aims to support multiple languages, not just focusing on English, to expand the scope of application to the global community.

1.2. What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a product of OpenAI, first launched to the public in late 2022. Based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture, ChatGPT quickly became a global phenomenon thanks to its natural, creative and flexible dialogue capabilities.

ChatGPT has been developed through many versions, from GPT-3.5 to GPT-5, with significant improvements in context understanding, accuracy, and response speed. In addition, ChatGPT does not stop at text but also expands to many other features such as Voice Mode (voice chat), image analysis, illustration creation with DALL·E, and recently, integration with external tools to expand the application.

ChatGPT's biggest strength lies in its comprehensive ecosystem, including Custom GPTs, marketplaces, plugins, and powerful enterprise integrations. This makes ChatGPT not just a chat tool, but a multi-functional AI platform serving millions of individuals and organizations around the world.

2. Detailed comparison between DeepSeek and ChatGPT

For a comprehensive evaluation, we need to analyze these two models based on many aspects: performance, innovation, programmability, language support, and business model.

2.1. Processing performance and response speed

One of the important criteria when comparing AI models is speed and performance.

DeepSeek AI: Designed to optimize computing power, DeepSeek delivers extremely fast response times even when handling long conversations. Tests show that DeepSeek can respond almost instantly while maintaining context consistency. This is a big advantage for those who need fast processing speeds such as data analytics or real-time applications.

ChatGPT: In the free version of ChatGPT, the response speed sometimes slows down when the number of users increases. However, with GPT-5 (in the ChatGPT Plus package), the speed has been significantly improved. In addition, OpenAI also focused on the accuracy and naturalness of the responses, making ChatGPT's responses smoother.

Overall, DeepSeek excels in speed, while ChatGPT stands out in its balance between speed and answer quality .

2.2. Content creation & programming skills

DeepSeek AI: With the advantage of fast processing, DeepSeek is capable of creating diverse content from blogs, articles to scripts. However, many reviews say that DeepSeek's creativity is still not as "natural" as ChatGPT. Some text passages tend to be dry and lack emotion, although they are still full of information.

ChatGPT: This is ChatGPT's traditional strength. Writers, content writers, and marketers all appreciate ChatGPT's creativity in coming up with unique ideas, diverse styles, and the ability to simulate different writing voices. In programming, ChatGPT not only writes code but also suggests optimal solutions and explains algorithms in detail.

ChatGPT excels in content creation and in-depth programming support, while DeepSeek leans toward speed and cleanness .

2.3. Programming ability & code support

Both tools are capable of supporting programming, but the approach is somewhat different:

DeepSeek AI: Focuses on generating fast, error-free code. Suitable for programmers who want snippets or quick samples. However, DeepSeek sometimes does not explain in detail, making it difficult for new programmers to understand the problem deeply.

ChatGPT: In addition to coding, ChatGPT is strong in explaining, debugging, algorithm optimization, and step-by-step instructions. This makes it a “programming tutor” for beginners, while still being useful for professional programmers.

For those who want to study or research in depth, ChatGPT is still the more comprehensive choice .

2.4. Multi-language processing capabilities

DeepSeek AI: Developed in China, DeepSeek has an advantage when it comes to Chinese and some Asian languages. However, its multilingual capabilities are sometimes not as strong as ChatGPT's, especially when it comes to understanding complex nuances and contexts.

ChatGPT: Trained on a global database, ChatGPT supports dozens of languages, including Vietnamese. Beyond translation, ChatGPT can also adapt the writing style to suit the culture, making the content more natural and understandable.

On the global side, ChatGPT excels with its comprehensive and natural multilingual support .

2.5. Pricing & Business Model

DeepSeek AI: One of the strengths that makes DeepSeek stand out is its low cost. The model is promoted as resource-efficient and user-friendly thanks to its competitive pricing, aiming to popularize AI.

ChatGPT: Currently, ChatGPT has a free version and a paid version ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) to access GPT-5. For businesses, OpenAI offers a separate API package, with costs based on usage. ChatGPT's strengths are its plugin ecosystem, Custom GPTs, and Marketplace.

For individuals who only need speed and cost savings, DeepSeek is more attractive. But for organizations/businesses who need stability and a complete ecosystem, ChatGPT is still superior.

3. Who is DeepSeek AI suitable for? Who is ChatGPT suitable for?

DeepSeek AI is suitable for:
Individuals or organizations who want a fast, low-cost AI solution, mainly for basic task processing, simple content writing, and quick data analysis. DeepSeek is also suitable for programmers who want quick sample code without much explanation.

ChatGPT is suitable for:
Users who want to leverage AI comprehensively, including creative content writing, learning, deep programming, academic research, multilingual translation, and businesses that need an AI tool integrated into their workflow.

In other words, DeepSeek is strong in speed and cost, while ChatGPT is strong in innovation, stability, and rich ecosystem .

The race between AI models is getting fiercer, and DeepSeek AI is a testament to the fact that new competitors can challenge ChatGPT's position. With the advantages of fast speed, low cost and resource optimization orientation, DeepSeek will certainly attract a large number of users, especially in emerging markets.

However, ChatGPT still holds the top position thanks to its creativity, multilingual processing capabilities, and the large ecosystem that OpenAI has built. For businesses, content creators, or programmers who need comprehensive support, ChatGPT is still the optimal choice.

Ultimately, there is no definitive answer to the question “Which AI is better?”. The power of a tool depends on the goals and needs of the application. If you need speed and low cost, DeepSeek is a worthy choice. But if you are looking for creativity, stability, and scalability, ChatGPT is still the leader.