I Used DeepSeek R1 for Research – Here's What Happened!

There’s a new AI tool in town, and it’s got people talking. DeepSeek R1 is an open-source model that’s aiming to rival some of the biggest names in AI. But how does it actually perform when put to the test, especially in academic and research tasks? ▼ ▽ Sign up for my FREE newsletter Join 21,000+ email subscribers receiving the free tools and academic tips directly from me: https://academiainsider.com/newsletter/ ▼ ▽ MY TOP SELLING COURSE ▼ ▽ ▶ Become a Master Academic Writer With AI using my course: https://academy.academiainsider.com/courses/ai-writing-course In this video, I take DeepSeek AI through a series of real-world challenges that PhD students, researchers, and academics would face—everything from structuring a literature review to analyzing figures from a scientific paper. A lot of people are wondering how it compares to existing AI models, so this is really a ChatGPT vs DeepSeek showdown. While ChatGPT has built a reputation for being one of the most powerful AI tools out there, DeepSeek is pushing in a different direction. It’s free, open-source, and even has local deployment options—something that many researchers value when it comes to data privacy and control. But does that make it a better tool for research? In this DeepSeek review, I test its ability to generate structured academic writing, search for peer-reviewed papers, and analyze scientific images. These are core tasks in research, and having an AI that can genuinely assist with them could be a game-changer. But like any AI, it has its strengths and weaknesses. Some aspects of DeepSeek surprised me—in good and bad ways. It’s decent at structuring academic content but sometimes lacks the deeper contextual understanding that researchers need. Its ability to find and summarize papers is promising, but accuracy is key, and misinformation in citations can be a big problem. AI tools are evolving quickly, and it’s crucial to figure out what actually works for academic research rather than just relying on hype. If you’re considering trying DeepSeek AI, this breakdown will give you an honest look at its capabilities—and whether it’s worth adding to your research toolkit. ................................................ ▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:47 Looking for Literature Reviews 04:03 Finding references 07:31 Can it work visually? 10:52 What does it do with figures? 13:53 Can it help edit peer-reviewed papers? 15:57 Outro ................................................ ▼ ▽ Socials for shorts and reels Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drandystapleton/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drandystapleton