DeepSeek says its R1 update rivals ChatGPT o3 and Gemini 2.5 Pro in performing math, coding and logic

India Today

6 days ago

Earlier this year, DeepSeek surprised the whole world with the launch of its R1 model which was capable of rivaling – or at least coming close in performance to – much larger AI models that were developed in the US. The DeepSeek R1, on the other hand, was developed by a Chinese startup at a fraction of the cost of models like ChatGPT and Gemini. R1 has now been upgraded and DeepSeek says that it is much better at reasoning, math and logic. 'In the latest update, DeepSeek R1 has significantly improved its depth of reasoning and inference capabilities by leveraging increased computational resources and introducing algorithmic optimisation mechanisms during post-training,' DeepSeek wrote in a post on Hugging Face.
advertisementDeepSeek says that it showed 'outstanding performance' in doing 'mathematics, programming, and general logic'. The AI company claims that after the update the general performance of the R1 model is 'approaching that of leading models, such as O3 and Gemini 2.5 Pro.' 'Compared to the previous version, the upgraded model shows significant improvements in handling complex reasoning tasks,' DeepSeek adds in its post.DeepSeek says that besides being good at problem solving and reasoning, the upgraded R1 or R1-0528 also hallucinates less. The model now also apparently offers a 'better experience for vibe coding'.
However, a developer on X alleges that the latest DeepSeek model is significantly more restricted when it comes to sensitive free speech issues, calling it the most heavily censored version so far, particularly when it comes to criticism of the Chinese government. '...the model is also the most censored Deepseek model yet for criticism of the Chinese government', the developer wrote in a post. This was first reported by TechCrunch.
The developer says that the new DeepSeek R1 model avoids giving direct answers to questions about sensitive subjects such as the internment camps in China's Xinjiang region, where over a million Uyghur Muslims have reportedly been detained. Although the model occasionally references Xinjiang as a human rights concern, the developer notes that it frequently echoes the Chinese government's official position when responding to related queries. 'Deepseek deserves criticism for this release: this model is a big step backwards for free speech,' he writes in a post on X. The developer reportedly conducted a test on a website called SpeechMap (which he has developed), where one can compare how different models treat sensitive and controversial subjects.