The rapid rise of DeepSeek — a Chinese artificial intelligence startup that went viral in January — could be a game changer for Middle Eastern countries that spent last year betting big on American AI dominance.  

Only founded in 2023, DeepSeek is generating global buzz after unveiling powerful and cost-effective new AI models that can rival cutting-edge chatbots created by top US players. As American companies splash out billions on similar innovations, DeepSeek claims it achieved this using less-advanced chip technology while spending less than $6 million on development. 

DeepSeek’s R1 model, released Jan. 20, is reportedly 20-50 times cheaper to use than ChatGPT-creator OpenAI’s o1 model. Such a breakthrough could erase the gap between US and Chinese AI development and has fueled reports of panic in Silicon Valley alongside roiling stock markets. On Jan. 27, AI chip giant Nvidia’s shares plunged about 17%, wiping nearly $600 billion from its market cap.  

As ripple effects from this development spread, DeepSeek’s emergence will be of particular interest in the Middle East, where wealthy Gulf states want to carve out impactful roles in an AI boom that could contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.