We’ve all seen how one small AI startup can shake global markets. But here’s the real question: are we truly prepared to understand how AI will transform our own industry going forward?
Late January 2025, the spotlight was on DeepSeek, and I had the privilege of sharing my insights on Sky News and LBC Radio here in the UK.
I also hosted a briefing for members of The Roof Gardens in London—an inspiring group of curious business leaders who not only heard my talk on AI’s opportunities but also walked away with signed copies of Digitally Curious.
As always, I began my talk by gauging the audience’s digital curiosity. I asked if they had used ChatGPT: 90% had. But when I asked how many used it daily, only 15% raised their hands.
Then came the big question: “How many of you have heard of DeepSeek?”
Every hand went up. Yet, when I asked who had actually tried it, just three hands rose, including mine.
And therein lies the challenge: we’re quick to read headlines about market disruptions but slow to explore the tools driving them.
During my talk, I demonstrated the evolution of AI reasoning by comparing ChatGPT’s o1 model with DeepSeek’s latest r1 model. For context, I posed a simple physics problem:
“Imagine a small strawberry placed in a cup that’s turned upside down on a table. The cup is then placed inside a microwave. Where is the strawberry now?”
ChatGPT 4.0 got it wrong, assuming the strawberry was still in the cup, while OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model solved it correctly in 23 seconds. DeepSeek? It nailed the answer in just SIX seconds.
Having tested this tool, I felt confident discussing it on stage and live on international television.
So here’s my question to you: how confident are you about understanding how AI will impact your job or industry?
My advice: stop reading about AI, start experimenting with it.