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The most powerful AI is now open-source

U.S is becoming the powerhouse of AI and its all thanks to project "Stargate". What's next? Dive in

Author

Jafar Najafov
January 22, 2025 • Read this in 9 minutes

AI isn't scary because it might surpass us but it’s scary because we barely understand ourselves.

Tim Urban nailed it: 'Humans are like a toddler playing with a bomb.’ We're creating something powerful without fully grasping the consequences. Ready or not, the future's here.

In today’s post:

  • DeepSeek R1, China's OpenAI competitor

  • Trump’s $500B Stargate Initiative

  • Perplexity launches Sonar API

  • Trending AI tools + More AI news that you don’t wanna miss

What’s Trending Today

DeepSeek R1

DeepSeek benchmarks

Sometimes, restrictions spark creativity. That’s exactly what’s happening in China, where AI companies like DeepSeek are pushing boundaries despite U.S. semiconductor export controls. Their secret? Innovation over reliance on the latest hardware.

Here’s everything you need to know about DeepSeek:

  • Open Source, Open Potential: DeepSeek just launched its R1 model a fully open-source AI powerhouse. Not only does it rival models from U.S. giants like OpenAI, but it’s also available for anyone to study, modify, or improve. Talk about leveling the playing field.

  • Tech That Does More with Less: Instead of fancy chips, DeepSeek leaned on clever engineering. They introduced MLA (multi-head latent attention), cutting memory usage by up to 87%, and a sparse MoE (Mixture-of-Experts) architecture, which activates only what’s needed, saving computing power and costs.

  • Affordable and Accessible AI: DeepSeek charges a fraction of what competitors like OpenAI do for API access. Plus, they’ve distilled their large models into smaller ones (down to 1.5B parameters), making advanced AI tools accessible to researchers and small organizations globally.

  • Global Influence Through Transparency: With over 671 billion parameters in their model, DeepSeek has published all the details on GitHub from architecture to training pipelines. This level of openness is setting new standards in AI development.

Here’s what I think:

DeepSeek’s bold embrace of open-source AI isn’t just a tech play it’s a power move. By opening up their innovations, they’re fostering collaboration, challenging the status quo, and positioning themselves as a global AI leader. If this trend continues, the future of AI might look a lot more cooperative and competitive than we imagined.

Project “Stargate“

Stargate AI: America’s $500 Billion Bet on the Future

CC: OpenAI

When was the last time you heard of a $500 billion project to shape the future? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening with the newly announced “Stargate Project,” aimed at supercharging AI infrastructure in the U.S. Love him or not, Trump made this announcement on his first day back in office, alongside tech leaders like OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son.

Here’s everything you must know about Stargate:

  • $500 Billion on the Table: The project kicks off with $100 billion in private funding, with another $400 billion expected over the next four years. It’s all about rebuilding the U.S. as an AI powerhouse.

  • Major Players in the Game:

    • OpenAI is running operations, working with Nvidia, Oracle, and SoftBank to build cutting-edge systems.

    • SoftBank is footing much of the financial bill, with CEO Masayoshi Son chairing the project.

    • Oracle and Nvidia will supply the infrastructure, while Microsoft stays in the mix as a cloud partner.

  • Big Promises: Beyond the mind-boggling price tag, Stargate plans to create 100,000 jobs, ramp up national security capabilities, and reindustrialize the U.S. And to move it all along? Executive orders to fast-track data center construction and energy supply.

  • Wall Street’s Happy: Investors are cheering. Oracle’s stock jumped 7% after the announcement, and analysts predict this could spark up to $1 trillion in additional AI investments across Silicon Valley.

Here’s what I think:

The Stargate Project is more than just a big number. It’s a bet that AI is the key to America’s economic future and global tech dominance. If it works, it could not only reshape industries but also redefine how nations compete in a rapidly shifting world.

Perplexity API

CC: Perplexity AI

Perplexity just launched Sonar, an API that lets businesses and developers integrate real-time AI search into their apps. Unlike traditional AI models, Sonar pulls live, fact-checked answers from trusted sources, complete with citations.

Here’s the quick breakdown:

  • Two Tiers:

    • Sonar Base: Fast and affordable, starting at $5 per 1,000 searches.

    • Sonar Pro: Handles tougher queries with more detailed answers and double the citations, at a higher cost.

  • Already in Use: Zoom’s AI assistant now uses Sonar to deliver real-time, in-chat answers.

  • Affordable & Accurate: Perplexity claims Sonar is the cheapest AI search API and even beats Google and OpenAI on factual accuracy benchmarks.

Sonar makes it easier (and cheaper) for companies to integrate reliable AI search into their platforms, opening new possibilities for apps and tools.

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