Later that week, OpenAI accused DeepSeek of improperly harvesting its models in a technique known as distillation. Lightcap said the new competition hasn't changed the way OpenAI thinks about open source, their product road map or mega-spending plans.
"DeepSeek is a testament to how much AI is like entered the public consciousness in the mainstream -- it would have been unfathomable two years ago," he said. "It's a moment that shows how powerful these models are and how much people really care."
Besides DeepSeek's emergence, OpenAI has also been dealing with a tense time on the legal front.