U.S. stock futures drop as AI app DeepSeek tops U.S. App Store, drawing global attention.

U.S. stock index futures continued to decline on Monday as investor sentiment was under pressure. As of the time of writing, S&P 500 futures were down 1.3%, and Nasdaq futures were down 2.3%. Market analysts pointed out that uncertainty in the tech sector and macroeconomic pressures might be the main factors driving the stock market downward.

Meanwhile, the strong performance of China's AI application DeepSeek has become the focus of the global tech industry. This app, hailed as the "light of domestic AI," achieved a historic milestone today by surpassing ChatGPT to top the free chart of the U.S. App Store, while also ranking first on the free chart in China. During the gap left by TikTok being forced to be removed from U.S. app stores, DeepSeek has dominated the charts with its strong technological capabilities and global expansion strategy, showcasing the competitive edge of Chinese tech firms in the global market.

This achievement has drawn not only user attention but also prompted swift reactions from global AI giants. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took to social media to announce an optimized version called "o3-mini" for the ChatGPT free plan, aiming for more direct competition with DeepSeek. Additionally, Meta is reported to have urgently set up four specialized technical teams to deconstruct and study DeepSeek's model technology in an attempt to uncover the secrets behind its success.

Several AI companies, including research teams from OpenAI and Meta, have stated that they are delving into DeepSeek's model architecture. Industry insiders reveal that DeepSeek's technology is not only more efficient but its cost advantage also positions it favorably in the market competition.

Amid the fierce competition in the AI field, DeepSeek's success has further intensified the rivalry among global tech companies. Industry analysts suggest that as the competition between Chinese and U.S. tech firms in artificial intelligence becomes increasingly intense, the pace of AI technological innovation is expected to accelerate further, which is undoubtedly promising for global users.

Additionally, this event has sparked discussions on data privacy and technology regulation, especially in the context of Chinese applications expanding their international market presence. In the future, balancing technological innovation with compliant development will become an important challenge that the AI industry urgently needs to address.

The market carries risks, and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and has not taken into account individual users' specific investment goals, financial situations, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, viewpoints, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their particular circumstances. Investing based on this is at one's own responsibility.