The Circuit cover image

The Circuit

Episode 109: Unpacking the Nuances of Deep Seek with Austin Lyons

Mar 16, 2025
Austin Lyons, an AI development expert and researcher at Deep Seek, shares insights into the innovative AI lab that blends advanced technology with self-funding. He discusses how Deep Seek is breaking through hardware limitations and optimizing training efficiency. The conversation highlights the lab's ability to innovate amidst market challenges, the significance of its mixture of experts approach, and the implications of U.S. chip regulations on AI advancements. Lyons also addresses the future of AI scaling, dispelling the myth that the field has plateaued.
48:17

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Deep Seek has innovatively optimized its AI models through a novel mixture of experts framework, reducing computational requirements while enhancing performance.
  • The lab's advancements in reasoning capabilities demonstrate that significant improvements in AI can still be achieved despite existing hardware limitations and market constraints.

Deep dives

DeepSeek's Origin and Background

DeepSeek is a self-funded AI lab in China that has emerged from HighFlyer, a quantitative hedge fund with a focus on machine learning for trading. Although it seems to have surfaced suddenly within the competitive AI landscape, its origins trace back to early work published over a year ago and a framework established by experienced mathematicians. The lab reportedly received indirect support from the Chinese government to contribute their considerable talents to broader AI research. This background highlights the lab’s ability to innovate within its constraints while being firmly rooted in a legacy of quantitative analysis and technology integration.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode