Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger may have stepped down from leading the chip giant, but he’s already deep into his next venture—Gloo, a messaging and engagement platform designed for churches. As AI becomes a crucial part of the startup’s growth, Gelsinger surprised many by revealing that he’s using DeepSeek R1 instead of OpenAI’s models.
What’s even more unexpected? He’s genuinely impressed with DeepSeek’s capabilities. While OpenAI has been the go-to for many, Gelsinger’s choice signals that newer AI players are making serious strides—and catching the attention of industry veterans.
“Making it dramatically cheaper will expand the market for it. The markets are getting it wrong, this will make AI much more broadly deployed,” Gelsinger said in his post on X. “DeepSeek will help reset the increasingly closed world of foundational AI model work”.
We recently tried out DeepSeek’s new R1 model, and it actually lives up to the hype. It delivers performance that’s surprisingly close to AI heavyweights like Gemini and ChatGPT—all while running on a lower budget, using fewer resources, and relying on older NVIDIA Blackwell AI chips.
It’s impressive to see how well DeepSeek R1 holds up despite these limitations. With efficiency like this, it’s clear that smaller AI players are finding smart ways to compete with the industry giants.
The buzz around DeepSeek has shaken up the AI industry, even hitting NVIDIA and other AI stocks. It also raises fresh concerns for the U.S. about whether its trade sanctions—especially restrictions on AI chip exports to China—are actually working as intended.
Gelsinger put it bluntly: “Having the Chinese remind us of the power of open ecosystems is maybe a touch embarrassing for our community, for the Western world.” His words highlight just how much DeepSeek’s rapid progress is catching the tech world off guard.
