"What's the deal with DeepSeek... should I be worried?" DeepSeek just released another model that it says rivals the big names at a fraction of the price. So here's my plain version. There are two kinds of AI models in this fight. Let's call them Closed and Open. Closed AI says: "You can talk to my brain, but I keep the brain." You send it a question, it sends back an answer, and the model itself stays locked inside the company. (ChatGPT, Claude) Open-weight AI says: "Here's a copy of my brain. Do what you want with your copy." The model gets handed over, and you run it however you like. (DeepSeek, Llama) With closed AI, the company has more control over what the model can do. With open-weight AI, the world has more control over what the model can do. That tension isn't new. DeepSeek just makes it concrete, because it's cheap, it's close to the best models out there, and once it's downloaded, nobody can see who's running it or what for. That part deserves attention. But here's what most headlines blur together. Using DeepSeek's app and using DeepSeek's model are two different things. The app is a closed service like any other... your questions go to DeepSeek's servers. The downloadable model is different. Run it on hardware you control and your data stays with you. So if you're a consultant wondering whether to worry, the first question isn't open vs. closed. It's where your client's data goes when you hit enter. Noticing is right. Panicking isn't. What's the AI headline that's had you most unsettled lately? Drop it in the comments and I'll give you the plain version. #IndependentConsultant #AIforBusiness #DataPrivacy #Coaching