Updated – 25th February, 2025
Over the last couple of months, the AI industry has been reeling from the seemingly overnight emergence of upstart DeepSeek. The landscape is shifting fast – NVIDIA’s stock has taken a hit, and the once-dominant US-based leaders are scrambling to optimize efficiency and cut costs as competition and scrutiny intensify.
Much of the media coverage has focused on questioning the foundations of the dominant AI players – OpenAI, xAI, and others – while speculating on the long-term impact of a Chinese challenger on the global AI race. But beyond the financial market turmoil and debates over ‘distillation,’ another conversation is emerging: the state of branding in AI.
Recent weeks have seen OpenAI and xAI’s Grok 3 respond with their own rebrands – moves that suggest an increasing recognition of branding’s role in AI adoption. Yet, as these major players tweak their identities, DeepSeek has already outflanked them – not just with its models but with its approach to brand storytelling and positioning.
The ‘De-Nerding’ of AI Naming
The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart recently joked that DeepSeek stands out because it actually sounds like what you might use it for, remarking that “China is now even beating us at naming s***!” This sentiment was echoed by Tom Goodwin, who noted: “It’s absolutely bananas how bad tech companies are at naming.”
DeepSeek’s name alone implies exploration and intelligence. In contrast, “OpenAI” sounds bureaucratic, “Grok” is a niche sci-fi reference, and even “Claude,” despite its ethical AI stance, lacks the sense of adventure that DeepSeek conveys.
With its recent rebrand, OpenAI has tried to soften its identity by introducing more approachable elements into its visual language. But the result still feels like the response of an LLM given the prompt: ‘make my brand more human’ -polished, pleasing, but missing a spark. Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether Grok will stick the landing of its new space-inspired logo, or if it will prove to be just the latest iteration in its easily-distracted search for a stable identity. Either way, Grok still feels like a brand chasing street cred and impact rather than building a real connection with users.
DeepSeek’s emphasis on curiosity as a brand foundation continues to set it apart. The question now is whether it can sustain and evolve this identity amid increasing competition.
A Design That Feels Alive
Rory Sutherland recently announced himself to be “very impressed by DeepSeek,” adding that “It’s got a proper logo for a start.”
DeepSeek’s friendly whale logo follows a rich tradition of tech brands using animals to humanize their identity. From Baidu’s bear to Twitter’s (pre-X) bluebird, animal mascots have helped soften the edges of hard technology, making brands feel more approachable.
In DeepSeek’s case, the whale symbolizes intelligence, depth, exploration, and calmness – reinforced by deep blues, gradients, and organic shapes that balance scientific precision with warmth. Compared to OpenAI’s corporate minimalism and Grok’s ever-shifting aesthetic, DeepSeek occupies a compelling sweet spot: serious enough to be trusted, engaging enough to be likable.
It’s All About the Story
Great brands don’t just exist – they tell a story. The effectiveness of DeepSeek’s naming and visual identity is a reflection of the clarity of its own brand storytelling. DeepSeek’s visual interface is designed to be simple and minimalist, defining a user experience that aligns with the model’s stated goals: focusing on usability, reflecting user-centric values, and building trust through transparency.
By presenting AI as a co-explorer and partner in discovery, rather than as an omnipotent force, DeepSeek successfully differentiates itself from the more technical, impersonal approach of OpenAI and the bold, assertive personality of Grok. Like a whale diving into the depths of the ocean, DeepSeek invites users to explore the vast possibilities of AI – not as a distant force, but as a trusted guide. In doing so, it reasserts its competitive positioning as an AI that isn’t too big to consider the small things.
A Chinese AI with Global Intentions
DeepSeek faces two key branding challenges:
- Global skepticism toward Chinese tech brands, with concerns over privacy and government ties creating trust barriers.
- Intense domestic competition from AI players like Baidu and Alibaba.
Rather than adopting a conventional enterprise tone, DeepSeek should lean into its human, exploratory identity to set itself apart and mitigate international mistrust. This aligns with China’s broader soft power shift in tech—moving from a reputation as an imitator to an innovator. Just as TikTok reshaped social media and DJI dominates drones, DeepSeek is proving that Chinese AI can compete not just on performance but on branding, too.
What’s Next for DeepSeek?
Having achieved remarkable results with just $6 million in training costs compared to the billions poured into their models by the likes of OpenAI and Meta, DeepSeek has already established itself as a challenger brand that rethinks AI from the ground up.
As the AI landscape continues to evolve, branding will become an increasingly valuable differentiator. OpenAI’s and Grok’s recent updates reinforce this point, even if their results remain uneven. DeepSeek, however, seems to understand better than most that people engage with brands, not just technology. By positioning itself as an AI for seekers and explorers, with a smart name, distinctive visual identity, and compelling story, DeepSeek is already winning on identity and emotion.
The real challenge now will be turning that advantage into trust and proving that a curiosity-driven AI from China can remain relevant in an industry defined by rapid change and fierce territorial competition.