I tested DeepSeek’s R1 and V3 coding skills – and we’re not all doomed (yet) [Video]

DeepSeek exploded into the world’s consciousness this past weekend. It stands out for three powerful reasons:

1. It’s an AI chatbot from China, rather than the US
2. It’s open source.
3. It uses vastly less infrastructure than the big AI tools we’ve been looking at.

Also: Apple researchers reveal the secret sauce behind DeepSeek AI

Given the US government’s concerns over TikTok and possible Chinese government involvement in that code, a new AI emerging from China is bound to generate attention. ZDNET’s Radhika Rajkumar did a deep dive into those issues in her article Why China’s DeepSeek could burst our AI bubble.

In this article, we’re avoiding politics. Instead, I’m putting both DeepSeek V3 and DeekSeek R1 through the same set of AI coding tests I’ve thrown at 10 other large language models. According to DeepSeek itself:

• Choose V3 for tasks requiring depth and accuracy (e.g., solving advanced math problems, generating complex code).

• Choose R1…