AI CEO Claims Chinese DeepSeek Lab Boasts 50,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs for Advanced AI Development

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DeepSeek’s R1 AI Model: Competing with Global Giants

DeepSeek, a trailblazing artificial intelligence lab in China, has garnered significant attention with the launch of its R1 model, which is reverberating throughout the industry. This cutting-edge AI technology reportedly has access to tens of thousands of NVIDIA’s GPUs for training, positioning itself alongside renowned models like OpenAI’s o1 and Meta’s Llama. The CEO of Scale AI, Alexandr Wang, recently highlighted DeepSeek’s achievements in an insightful interview with CNBC.

NVIDIA’s Advanced GPU Landscape

Wang unveiled that NVIDIA’s Hopper series, which includes the latest H100 and H200 GPUs, represents the current state of their technology. As NVIDIA ramps up shipments of the anticipated Blackwell chips, these Hopper GPUs remain instrumental in powering AI advancements globally. According to Wang, the R1 model has not only met but has surpassed the performance of top-tier AI models during rigorous assessments conducted by his organization.

Insights from “Humanity’s Last Exam”

During his conversation with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, Wang elaborated on an intensive testing framework dubbed “Humanity’s Last Exam, ” designed to evaluate AI prowess through complex queries from esteemed professors in fields such as mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry. Wang noted that the results indicated DeepSeek’s R1 as either the best performer or comparable to leading American models like o1.

US-China AI Competition: A Shifting Paradigm

Addressing the ongoing rivalry in AI between the United States and China, Wang acknowledged America’s historical lead in the field but emphasized that the advancements from DeepSeek signal a potential shift in the landscape. He remarked upon the strategic timing of the R1’s release, noting its unveiling on Christmas Day, a period typically marked by festivities in the West.

The GPU Availability Debate

The conversation then pivoted to the availability of GPUs in China. Wang commented on the global demand for NVIDIA’s powerful GPUs, which have become focal points of US export regulations. Notably, the Biden administration imposed restrictions starting in 2022 on the sale of these premium chips to China, leading to NVIDIA’s development of alternative models, including the H800 and A800, which faced similar restrictions by October 2023.

DeepSeek’s GPU Cache and Future Challenges

According to Wang, while there are significant capabilities within Chinese labs, the reality of accessing these advanced GPUs is nuanced. He estimated that DeepSeek possesses approximately 50, 000 H100s, challenging common perceptions of their resource limitations. However, Wang acknowledged the impending constraints these labs may face under existing export controls, stating, “On a go-forward basis, they are going to be limited by the chip controls and the export controls that we have in place.”

As the global AI landscape evolves, the competition between these technological giants will undoubtedly shape the future of artificial intelligence development.

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