China’s DeepSeek adds advanced ‘thinking’ feature to chatbot amid buzz over next model
Hangzhou-based AI start-up installs ‘interleaved thinking’ as monthly users surge 90 per cent to nearly 131.5 million
DeepSeek’s website and mobile app have both started offering an advanced search function called “interleaved thinking”, in which the chatbot performs multi-step research with “thinking” interspersed throughout the process.
Previously, the chatbot would “think” through a prompt provided by a user before generating a response. The “interleaved” allows the model to “think” between each action, strengthening its research capabilities.
This process is integral to powerful research tools like OpenAI’s Deep Research, which can handle complex queries. For instance, after opening a webpage, the model may need to “think” about the credibility of the information it reads before deciding whether to consult another document to verify the findings.
A test by the Post showed that DeepSeek’s chatbot does not always deploy this “deep research” mode unless prompted with complicated queries. Once the feature is deployed, the user is able to see each step of the “interleaved thinking” process.