If you’re following developments in artificial intelligence, you may want to know that Chinese startup DeepSeek has just released an updated version of its R1 reasoning AI model. The company shared the news on WeChat Wednesday morning and the model is now live on the developer platform Hugging Face.
What’s new in the updated model?
DeepSeek describes the latest R1 release as a “minor” upgrade, though it still carries some impressive stats. The model has a massive 685 billion parameters, which are also called “weights.” These key parts guide how the AI performs tasks and makes decisions. With so many parameters, this AI model is far larger than most currently available and is unlikely to run on everyday computers without special hardware.
While the update may be considered minor, it is still notable. The updated R1 model is available under the permissive MIT licence. This means you’re free to use it for commercial projects without paying licensing fees or asking for permission. However, DeepSeek has not yet provided a complete description of how this version of R1 works. The Hugging Face listing only includes the necessary files to run the model, including the configuration details and weight files.
DeepSeek continues to attract global attention
DeepSeek gained wide attention earlier this year when it launched the original R1 model. The powerful AI stood out in the field for its reasoning abilities and performance, directly competing with models made by industry leaders like OpenAI. Many developers and researchers found R1’s results impressive, sparking growing interest in Chinese AI startups.
However, DeepSeek’s rapid progress hasn’t gone unnoticed by government officials. Some regulators have raised concerns that the company’s advanced technology might pose a national security risk in the United States. They worry that powerful AI models like R1 could be misused or create unfair advantages in global tech competition.
Even so, DeepSeek has pressed on, releasing new versions and improvements. By making the R1 model publicly available under an open licence, the company aims for broader global adoption, allowing developers worldwide to test and build with the technology.
What you need to know if you want to use R1
If you’re interested in trying out DeepSeek’s upgraded R1 model, you’ll need access to strong computing power. Due to the many parameters, the model is best suited for research labs, tech companies, or cloud-based environments that can handle such size and complexity.
Although the Hugging Face page does not provide detailed guidance, experienced developers can work with the available files. Getting started may require some technical skill, but the possibilities are wide-ranging—from natural language tasks to complex reasoning and decision-making models.
DeepSeek’s move to share the updated R1 openly might help push the boundaries of what AI models can achieve. Whether you’re a developer, researcher, or just interested in the future of AI, this latest release is another step in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence.
