OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has finally spoken out about the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which caused a stir in Silicon Valley with the launch of its open-source AI model, DeepSeek R1. Altman, whose company revolutionized artificial intelligence with the debut of ChatGPT in November 2022, acknowledged DeepSeek R1’s accomplishments in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter). He described the model as “impressive,” especially considering its cost-effectiveness.
Sam Altman’s reaction to DeepSeek
Altman applauded DeepSeek for delivering a capable AI model at a lower price point. “DeepSeek’s R1 is an impressive model, particularly for what they’ve achieved at such a cost,” he noted. Rather than feeling threatened, he welcomed the competition, describing it as “invigorating” and a motivator for OpenAI to innovate even further.
However, Altman was quick to affirm OpenAI’s confidence in maintaining its leadership in the AI space. “We’ll obviously deliver much better models,” he said, hinting at upcoming updates and innovations designed to keep OpenAI ahead of the curve.
In light of DeepSeek’s unexpected emergence, Altman hinted that OpenAI might accelerate some of its product releases to stay competitive. However, he emphasized that the company would remain focused on its primary goal: advancing artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI refers to AI systems that can match—or even surpass—human intelligence in a broad range of tasks.
“We will pull up some releases,” Altman revealed, but he stressed that OpenAI’s long-term research roadmap remained intact. He also reiterated the importance of computational power in developing advanced AI models, stating, “More compute is more important now than ever before to succeed at our mission.”
Altman concluded his post by promising exciting developments for AI enthusiasts. “The world is going to need a lot of AI, and people are going to be amazed by the next generation of models,” he teased. OpenAI’s ultimate goal, according to Altman, remains the creation of AGI—and beyond.
Interestingly, Altman’s remarks come just days after he admitted that OpenAI hasn’t yet achieved AGI, though the company believes it has the know-how to build it. In a blog post earlier this month, Altman suggested that OpenAI could deploy AGI by 2025, marking a potential turning point in the AI race.
Altman’s comments underscore the growing competition in the AI industry, where global players like DeepSeek are challenging established giants like OpenAI. While OpenAI is doubling down on research and computational resources, the emergence of cost-effective, powerful models like DeepSeek R1 signals a shift in the landscape—one that could redefine what it takes to lead in artificial intelligence.