In this episode of the Untangling Web3 podcast, we break down the latest developments in the rapidly evolving world of AI, focusing on the rising competition between major players like OpenAI, Google's Gemini, and China's groundbreaking DeepSeek.

With performance, cost, and openness on the line, this episode unpacks the global battle to dominate the future of artificial intelligence.

Key highlights:

• Origins and Missions of the Major Players: The episode begins by tracing the roots of leading AI companies. From OpenAI's nonprofit beginnings to its dominance with GPT-4.1, and Google's Gemini suite developed from DeepMind and Brain, we compare their approaches to safety, openness, and commercialization. The team also discusses Anthropic’s Claude and the unique positioning of models like Mistral and Cohere’s Command R, each targeting different market segments and use cases—from transparency to enterprise knowledge management.
• The Rise of DeepSeek and the Global Shake-Up: The hosts unpack the massive impact of DeepSeek, China’s open-source AI contender that rocked global tech markets in early 2025. They explain why DeepSeek's performance-to-cost ratio, open accessibility, and groundbreaking efficiency innovations like batch tokenization sent shockwaves through Western tech stocks. With its free and highly capable models, DeepSeek challenges the dominance of U.S.-based platforms and marks a shift in global AI power dynamics.
• Performance, Pricing, and Future Trends: Diving into technical metrics, the hosts compare context windows, output limits, and per-token costs of today’s top models. They highlight how GPT-4.1, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek serve different user needs—from coding and storytelling to academic research and cost-efficient startups. The episode also explores how integration strategies like Model Context Protocol (MCP) and services like AWS Bedrock are reshaping how AI is deployed and scaled in real-world applications.

As the AI battle heats up between OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, and others, users are the real winners—gaining access to faster, cheaper, and more specialized tools. But with geopolitical dynamics, training data transparency, and business models evolving fast, staying informed is key.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, developer, or tech enthusiast, this episode is your guide to navigating the increasingly competitive and globalized landscape of artificial intelligence.

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This episode is sponsored by the VeChain foundation. Learn more about VeBetterDAO here:

https://vebetterdao.org/

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Learn more about Web3 at:

https://untanglingweb3.com/

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Untangling Web3 is brought to you by hosts Jack Davies and Alec Burns, with music by Daniel Paigge. Got a question or topic suggestion? Send us an email at [email protected].

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The views we express here are our own, and do not represent the views of our employers. Nothing discussed or stated in the show should be considered advice.