DeepSeek’s Lesson: The Future Of AI Is Decentralized And Open-Source

The world is still swirling from the DeepSeek shock—its surprise, worries, concerns, and optimism. From the perspective of AI innovation and real-life use case scenarios, I agree with AMD’s Lisa Hsu that open source is the key for AI to truly thrive.

This is especially true for those of us who have been immersed in AI and have pivoted into the world of decentralized AI built on blockchain, particularly when we see the issues stemming from initial centralized models. This article will explore the open-source logic embedded in DeepSeek and DeAI, and its benefits to AI development.

A Collaborative Future Rather Than An Apocalypse

The latest update is that DeepSeek has announced plans to release five code repositories, including the open-source R1 reasoning model. The newly released open-source code will provide infrastructure to support the AI models that DeepSeek has already publicly shared, building on top of those existing open-source model frameworks.

Unlike OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude, whose models, data sets, and algorithms are proprietary, DeepSeek is open source. This means anyone can download, copy, and build upon it. Its code and detailed technical documentation are freely available, allowing global developers and organizations to access, modify, and implement it.

In contrast, while Meta and Google offer their models for public viewing, they aren't considered truly open source. The use of these models is limited by licensing restrictions, and the training data sets are not made publicly accessible.

Unlike the smartphone era—where companies like Apple enjoyed a clear head start by controlling the ecosystem and setting the standards for mobile innovation—the AI space is fundamentally different. Success in AI relies on collective input. It demands vast, diverse datasets and continuous collaboration, refining and training that can only emerge from a decentralized environment. No single entity can hoard the necessary data or expertise to push the field forward on its own.

Aligned with DeepSeek’s embedded logic, DeAI projects rooted in blockchain technology are shifting the AI landscape toward greater transparency, collaboration, and decentralization. These projects aim to solve the limitations of centralized models by leveraging the strengths of blockchain’s distributed ledger system.

Blockchain ensures that the ownership of data and models is distributed, preventing the monopolization of AI technology by large corporations. By integrating blockchain with AI, projects can enhance transparency—every transaction, data input, and change in the AI model can be logged immutably. This creates a verifiable and transparent history of modifications and contributions, providing clarity to all stakeholders involved in the AI development process.

Moreover, blockchain’s role extends beyond transparency. In DeAI models, contributors are often rewarded for their input, whether in the form of coding contributions, data provision, or model fine-tuning. Smart contracts on blockchain platforms enable fair, automated, and transparent distribution of rewards and incentives. For example, in a DeAI ecosystem, a contributor who improves a model or supplies valuable datasets could receive tokenized rewards, ensuring that the system benefits everyone.

By releasing models with open weights and transparent code, DeepSeek contributes to a paradigm where AI isn’t locked behind paywalls and proprietary systems. Instead, its open-source approach invites a multitude of voices to refine and expand on its technology, ensuring that breakthroughs aren’t monopolized by a few corporate giants but are available to everyone willing to contribute.

In a climate of overreaction and hyperbole, it’s important to step back and see the bigger picture. DeepSeek’s birth should be celebrated as an optimistic milestone—a reminder that the future of AI lies in openness, collaboration, and shared progress. As we move forward, the real win will be when all players, regardless of nationality or resources, contribute to the big AI development that could benefit millions.

For example, in healthcare, the open-source nature of AI projects enables doctors, researchers, and AI specialists to co-develop diagnostic tools, medical imaging systems, and patient care models. This has led to AI-powered platforms that can detect diseases like cancer at earlier stages, improving treatment outcomes. In supply chain management, blockchain-powered DeAI systems can provide transparent tracking of goods from manufacturer to consumer. By recording every stage in the journey on a decentralized ledger, it ensures that products are ethically sourced and accurately represented.

DeepSeek Accelerates The Adoption of Decentralized AI

DeepSeek indicates the potential of decentralized AI. It questions the idea that centralized resources are the only route to success in artificial intelligence.

It’s capturing widespread attention by demonstrating that AI models can be made far more efficient than we once thought possible. It also catalyzes imaginations and potential breakthroughs across all three key driving forces of AI: compute, storage, and data. Ultimately, the arrival of DeepSeek is enlarging the market and accelerating the adoption of AI and Decentralized AI.