DeepSeek: Chinese AI app shocks tech world: BBC Learning English from the News

From BBC Learning English,

this is Learning English from the News,

our podcast about the news headlines.

In this programme: DeepSeek:

the Chinese AI app that's shocked the tech world.

Hello, I'm Georgie. And I'm Neil.

In this programme, we look at one big news story

and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

You can find all the vocabulary and the headlines from this episode,

as well as a worksheet, on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

So, let's hear more about this story.

A Chinese AI app, that's artificial intelligence, called DeepSeek,

has caught the attention of the entire tech industry and the world.

It was released on the 20th of January

and has quickly risen to the top of Apple store's download charts.

What makes DeepSeek so special is that the company claims

the latest model was built using only $5.6 million,

whereas OpenAI, that's ChatGPT's

developer, spent $5 billion last year alone.

DeepSeek's entry into the market has caused

the value of other tech stocks, such as Nvidia's, to fall dramatically.

And our first headline is about the reaction from the AI industry.

And the headline is: Why is the AI world freaking out over China's DeepSeek?

That's from The Japan Times.

OK, that headline again from The Japan Times:

Why is the AI world freaking out over China's DeepSeek?

So, this headline is suggesting

that the AI world is freaking out about DeepSeek,

and we are looking at this phrasal verb 'freak out'.

Yes, if you freak out, it means you lose emotional control.

This can be because of emotions like shock, excitement, fear,

or even anger.

So, why is the AI world freaking out?

Well, if you're an AI fan or even a nerd,

you might freak out with excitement at a new tool,

but this headline is talking about something else.

Yes. They're referring to the tech companies who might be freaking out

with fear or panic because they're losing market share.

Now, in the headline 'freak out' is followed by 'over'.

But in our examples we've been using 'about' – 'freak out

about' – both 'about' and 'over' are fine.

Yes, we can also use 'freak out' as an adjective –

'freaked out'.

We could say the AI world is freaked out.

Yeah, and Georgie, I was freaked out last night when I bumped into my son

wandering around the house in the middle of the night – 4am!

He really gave me a shock –

it really freaked me out.

That does sound a bit scary.

'Freak out' is also a noun – 'freak out'.

Other headlines are calling this 'the DeepSeek

freak out'. I had a freak out last week

when I realised there was no food in the fridge.

That is a serious situation! And if you want to learn more,

find the 'Phrasal verbs for feelings' video on bbclearningenglish.com.

It's got me and Georgie in it.

And you know Georgie, some pretty good acting from me and Beth, isn't there?

There's some fantastic acting from you and Beth.

We had: 'freaking out' –

losing emotional control.

For example, I freaked out

when my favorite actor walked past me in the street.

This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

Today we're talking about the launch of China's AI app, DeepSeek.

DeepSeek was cheaper to make because it uses fewer advanced chips than

other leading models like OpenAI.

That possibility caused the tech giant Nvidia,

who make these chips, to lose almost $600 billion of its market value in one day.

This is the biggest drop in the history of the US stock market,

according to Bloomberg.

Other tech companies' stocks have also fallen.

And the US president Donald Trump has said it was 'a wake up call'

for US companies who must focus on competing to win.

He means they need to pay attention – take note of what's happened.

And our next headline is about DeepSeek's effect on the stock market.

This one is from the BBC.

Nvidia shares sink as Chinese AI app spooks US markets.

And that headline again from the BBC.

Nvidia shares sink as Chinese AI app spooks US markets.

So, this headline is about

how Nvidia, the American tech giant, lost $600 billion of its market share

and how DeepSeek is spooking the markets.

And we're looking at the word 'spook'.

Neil, what can you tell us?

Well, Georgie, I know you love Halloween.

People dress up as things like ghosts and skeletons and scary things,

and we often use the word 'spooky' as an adjective to describe such scary things.

Yes, but in the headline, 'spook' is a verb.

Now, if you spook a person or an animal,

it means you frighten or scare them, often with a surprise.

Yeah, but here we're talking about something a bit more abstract.

The stock market.

DeepSeek spooks US stock market.

Now, this means that the release of the AI app has created a sudden sense

of fear or nervousness for investors in the stock market.

Yes. This causes the investors to potentially sell their stocks

and has created a big shock or disruption in the stock market.

Yeah, so just imagine

how this big news in the tech world has caused people to panic.

We've had: 'spook' – create a sudden sense of fear or nervousness.

For example, the government's sudden tax cuts spooked the markets.

This is Learning English from the News from BBC Learning English.

We're talking about DeepSeek,

China's new AI app that has shocked the tech industry.

Now, some thought it was obvious that the US would dominate the AI race

because of its many data centres and control over the best chips.

But now there is a sense that DeepSeek may have disrupted that confidence.

And we have a headline about this.

It's from Business Today and it says: AI market shake-up:

Global giants tumble as Chinese AI model DeepSeek disrupts markets.

That headline again from Business Today: AI market shake-up:

global giants tumble as Chinese AI model DeepSeek disrupts markets.

So, again we're hearing about the fall of these tech giants

and the disruption in the markets.

Yes. But we're looking at the word 'shake-up' – 'AI market shake-up'.

We all know what 'shake' means, Georgie.

If you shake a drink, it mixes the ingredients.

And if you're playing a game with some dice,

for example, you shake them up

and you don't know what numbers you're going to get.

It becomes different to what was before and unpredictable.

OK, what's that got to do with AI? Good question.

Well, lots of people thought that the US would dominate the AI industry,

but now there's a shake-up.

That means there's been a change.

It's become less predictable.

Maybe China will be the leader in AI now.

OK, there's been a shake-up. A work-related example –

at work, you might have a shake-up.

Different positions are created.

Some people might have to leave.

And we can also use 'shake up' as a verb – to shake something up.

Deep seek has shaken up the tech industry.

We've had: 'a shake up' – a change. For example,

the football team kept losing, so the coach decided to have a shake up.

She brought in some new players.

That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News.

We'll be back next week with another news story.

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Goodbye for now! Goodbye.