DeepSeek tops the free apps chart in the Uzbek App Store

On Monday, January 28, DeepSeek surpassed Temu, the Chinese marketplace that had held the top position for the past few months.

The remaining spots in the top five include the ChatGPT chatbot, a VPN service, and the mobile app Soliq from Uzbekistan’s Tax Committee.

Meanwhile, in the Google Play store, Temu, ChatGPT, HET Billing Mobile from the Regional Power Grids, Instagram, and Telegram continue to dominate. DeepSeek’s chatbot did not even make it into the top 10.

A similar trend is being observed in Russia, where DeepSeek has appeared in both the Russian App Store and Google Play rankings. According to RBC, DeepSeek topped the App Store chart and made it into the top 20 on Google Play, a significant improvement from the 115th spot the day before.

Additionally, DeepSeek has temporarily suspended new user registrations due to "large-scale malicious attacks," as stated on the company’s website. However, users who registered earlier can still access the AI model without disruption.

Overview of DeepSeek

DeepSeek is an open-source artificial intelligence language model that is positioning itself as a competitor to solutions like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Its primary advantage lies in its remarkably low development costs. The company claims to have spent just $6 million on training the model, utilizing 2,000 specialized chips, while its competitors use up to 16,000 chips and invest hundreds of millions of dollars.

DeepSeek-R1 outperforms its competitors in mathematical tests and programming, although OpenAI still leads in terms of general knowledge.

The model employs a “selective activation” approach, processing only the relevant parts of the algorithm for each query. This results in lower energy consumption and better performance. The company has achieved this success by combining powerful Nvidia chips with simpler, more cost-effective components.

DeepSeek follows an open development model to rapidly accumulate experience and attract talent. The company is actively recruiting specialists from top universities in China, offering competitive salaries. Founder Liang Wenfeng asserts that the younger generation in China has immense potential, provided they are given the right opportunities to thrive.