The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. How do big companies evolve? How do they learn to do something new? These are questions that have taken up untold pages of books, magazines, and journal articles. As a venture capitalist (VC) in water, I’ve seen firsthand that most large companies in the sector struggle to effectively engage with external innovation, particularly with entrepreneurs developing technologies that could enhance their value propositions or product suites. Yet, both sides stand to gain: Large companies expand their product suites without having to build from scratch, and startups gain access to something invaluable: distribution at scale.   That’s what makes Xylem’s success with Xylem Innovation Labs such an impressive case study. Formed in 2021, the program was a deliberate effort to bridge this gap, engaging with the growing ecosystem of water entrepreneurs and investing in the best talent developing industry solutions. If you think entrepreneurship is hard, try corporate innovation.  A model that works  Building a new function within a company requires navigating the constraints of an existing organizational structure. Simply tacking on a skunkworks team with a Gone in 60 Seconds-type team of innovators often leads to fragmentation, internal resistance, and ultimately, failure. Xylem Innovation Labs avoided these pitfalls by structuring its program with precision and purpose, making it a model for systematic change.  At its core is the Partnerships Accelerator, designed to fast-track the introduction of breakthrough technologies that address critical challenges for water utilities, industrial water users, and communities worldwide. Each year, the team surveys the entire company to identify strategic gaps that technology could help fill in. They then scour the global startup landscape—working with partners like us at Burnt Island Ventures (BIV) and Imagine H2O—to find companies with the right solutions. Applications are then reviewed across Xylem’s business units, and a committee that includes members of the company’s C-suite (this is a $8.6 billion revenue company, after all) makes the final selections.   Once a startup is selected, it gains direct access to Xylem’s leadership and expertise, with a dedicated team member acting as a guide through the corporate landscape. They then embark on a year-long Partnership Accelerator program that not only develops their partnership with the company but a path to the broader market. The program is defined by its speed and transparency—we all know that startups don’t have the luxury of waiting years for a decision. When a “no” comes fast, it’s never a “no forever”—it’s about timing, potential, and mutual fit. This founder-friendly approach makes it one of the most effective corporate innovation models I’ve seen.  Breakthrough partnerships and lessons learned  Since its 2022 launch, the Partnerships Accelerator has engaged over 45 companies from 14 countries—contributing to real progress across the water innovation ecosystem by accelerating solutions, relationships, and learning. Nearly a quarter of these startups have formalized partnership agreements with Xylem, while a new cohort are just beginning their journey. This isn’t just about numbers; it’s about tangible progress in tackling some of the most pressing water and public health challenges of our time.   The potential for transformation is significant, and initiatives like this are setting a new standard for how large companies can engage with startups to deliver meaningful change. Take Aclarity, a BIV portfolio company that developed an electrochemical oxidation process to destroy forever chemicals (PFAS). After participating in the 2022 Xylem Partnerships Accelerator, Aclarity continues to collaborate with Xylem to bring its technology to market. Other partnerships have already led to new product launches, such as eoapp Aqua, a satellite-based water quality monitoring tool that debuted in the U.S. in 2024 as a collaboration between Xylem’s YSI brand and EOMAP, a German remote sensing company.  For BIV, partnering with Xylem isn’t just strategic—it has reshaped how we approach venture investing in water. Xylem collaborates with a global network of more than 40 open innovation partners, including universities, research institutes, accelerators, VCs, and end users. This extensive reach gives us an edge in sourcing high-potential startups, but this isn’t a one-way street. We share promising startups with Xylem, and nearly half of our portfolio companies have engaged with Xylem in some capacity. The result? A stronger ecosystem where startups have a direct path to commercialization.  The buck doesn’t stop here  Xylem Innovation Labs isn’t just coasting on its early successes. In 2024, Xylem expanded its corporate venture investing plans to support emerging companies and water services providers, complementing its existing investments in BIV and Westly Group. More importantly, it’s now deploying capital into high-impact, frontier markets through its work with WaterEquity. This holistic approach—combining partnerships, investments, and strategic innovation—is creating a powerful engine for scaling water technology solutions at an unprecedented pace.  And the impact is growing. A self-reinforcing funding and innovation flywheel is now in motion for early-stage water companies. Four companies from BIV’s Fund I have already advanced to Series B funding, and we’ve since launched Fund II and Opportunity Fund I, both anchored by Xylem, to further support high-growth water startups. The timing couldn’t be better. Both VC and entrepreneurial attention are shifting toward climate adaptation and resilience, and water is at the center of that transformation.   Institutional agility is possible  I’ve seen too many large companies fail at innovation simply because they lack the structure and discipline to integrate external ideas. But Xylem Innovation Labs is proof that it doesn’t have to be this way. I believe that when a corporation commits to engaging with startups strategically—rather than treating innovation as a PR stunt—it can create an engine for sustained competitive advantage. Xylem has done this by taking external innovation seriously, embedding it into its core strategy, and executing it with speed and transparency. In today’s world, where water challenges are intensifying, integrating emerging technologies isn’t optional, it’s a necessity for survival and long-term growth.  Tom Ferguson is founder and managing partner of Burnt Island Ventures. 

Upgrading your fitness setup is a move that pays off every time you walk into your home gym or studio. For those looking to boost both performance and comfort, the RitFit 3-Section Adjustable Weight Bench steps up as a game-changing option. Beyond just another exercise bench, it’s a powerhouse designed to handle heavy lifting and versatile routines, all while saving space and looking sleek in any training environment. The first thing you’ll notice is just how adaptable this bench is. With three seat angles, ten backrest settings, and nine headrest positions, you can easily find the perfect configuration for anything from incline presses to decline sit-ups and everything in between. The patent-pending adjustable headrest is a rare touch that delivers extra support right where you want it. Its flexibility at its finest, letting you dial in adjustments to fit your unique training style. Designer: RitFit LLC Click here to Buy Now: $348 $399.99 ($51.99 off, use coupon code “RFBWB02”). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours! For those who want to challenge themselves with serious weight, peace of mind is essential. The RitFit BWB02 is built on an ultra-rugged 11GA steel frame, available in two sizes to fit your needs. The 60×60 inch version supports up to 1500 pounds, while the 75×75 inch version takes that to an incredible 2000 pounds. That kind of capacity means you never have to worry about stability, no matter how intense your workouts get. Its space-saving convenience easily sets this bench apart from the rest. At 57.4 inches long and just over 25 inches wide, the RitFit bench fits seamlessly into home gyms and studio spaces alike. Moving it around is a breeze thanks to the sturdy chrome handle and integrated wheels, so you can quickly reposition it for different exercises or tuck it away vertically after use. Space-efficient and easy to maneuver, it’s perfect for those who want their training area to stay organized. That said, comfort can’t be overlooked for those long training sessions, and this bench is all about making things easier on your body. The thick 70mm cushion provides ample padding, helping reduce strain and letting you focus fully on your sets. Durable double-stitching ensures the upholstery stands up to repeated use, while the flat headrest support post adds stability, making the bench suitable for everyone from beginners to experienced lifters. The RitFit 3-Section Adjustable Weight Bench uses premium-grade materials not just to flaunt it but also to guarantee long-lasting performance. The 1mm thick PVC covering is not only waterproof and sweat-resistant, but also super easy to clean. After a hard session, a quick wipe-down keeps it looking brand new. Stains are no match either, so your gear will always look as sharp as your motivation, workout after workout. Safety features are woven into every part of the BWB02’s design. The trapezoidal base keeps the bench grounded, even when you’re pushing your limits with heavy weights. Non-slip foot pads boost grip on any surface and shield your floors from scuffs or scratches. Adjustable support columns increase structural stability, eliminating wobbling or tilting and giving you the confidence to go hard without hesitation. A quality adjustable weight bench does more than just expand your training options. It opens the door to a wider range of exercises, targeting different muscle groups and supporting varied fitness goals. With the RitFit 3-Section Adjustable Weight Bench, you can shift seamlessly from full-body workouts to focused strength training, thanks to its customizable settings and rock-solid build. When your equipment makes every session easier and more enjoyable, it’s easier to stick to your routine and push yourself toward new achievements. The RitFit 3-Section Adjustable Weight Bench’s mix of smart design, reliability, and comfort offers a compelling solution for anyone aiming to get the most out of their workouts. If your goals include better performance, increased versatility, and a tidy, user-friendly gym space, this bench is a smart upgrade that delivers on all fronts. Click here to Buy Now: $348 $399.99 ($51.99 off, use coupon code “RFBWB02”). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!The post Level Up Your Fitness Game With the RitFit Adjustable Weight Bench for Ultimate Versatility first appeared on Yanko Design.

Skills like resilience will help you get ahead in this industry.

On the latest episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, your host breaks down the latest Matter development on long-range devices, Arlo adds more HomeKit support, and we round up the best Find My devices.HomeKit Insider PodcastChipolo has announced its latest Find My-enabled tracker with the colorful Chipolo Pop. It comes in six different colors, has a built-in keychain hole, and has a replaceable CR2032 battery.Unlike its predecessor, the new model works with both Apple Find My and Google Find My Device. They start at $29 for one, or four for $89. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The planned purge of General Services Administration (GSA) leases now officially includes the impending sale of the Marcel Breuer-designed Robert C. Weaver Federal Building in Washington, D.C., the Federal News Network is reporting. This is ostensibly owing to the Trump Administration's protracted disdain for modernism (and in part due to some $500 million in costs attributed to deferred maintenance). Its main tenant, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is rumored to be preparing to move out of the facility in the coming years.  Previously on Archinect: In BRUTAL DC, Brooks + Scarpa proposes adaptive reuse of Marcel Breuer's landmark 1968 designThe building had been listed as "non-essential" along with 440 others before the update. The future use of the Robert C. Weaver building was also the subject of a 2023 adaptive reuse proposal from Brooks + Scarpa that was a part of the National Building Museum’s recently extended Capital Brutalism exhibition....

That there will be a new mainline 3D Super Mario platformer released for the Nintendo Switch 2 at one point pretty much goes without saying, but clearly, it’s not coming as quickly as many had thought it would. Contrary to what many expected, a new 3D Mario won’t be available for the Switch 2 at launch (or within the first few months of the console’s release), but Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has offered assurances to allay concerns. Speaking with CNN, when asked about the lack of Mario on Switch 2 as of now, Bowser asked fans to “stay tuned”, adding that Nintendo has a “long list of IP” that will be headed for the company’s new console at some point or another. “Stay tuned,” Bowser said. “You know, we have a long, long catalogue and a long list of [intellectual property] that I’m sure will make its way to the platform.” Given the fact that Super Mario Odyssey is close to eight years old, it goes without saying that demand for its successor is pretty high. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we have the next Mario game in our hands. Meanwhile, 3D platforming fans have another major first-party Nintendo game to look forward to in the form of Donkey Kong Bananza, which is due out for the Switch 2 in July. Speculation is rife that it was developed by the Odyssey team, though Nintendo has yet to officially confirm or deny that.

Cool Finds Why Did This Broken Ceramic Pot Sell for More Than $60,000 at Auction? Discovered in pieces in a backyard garden in London, the vessel turned out to be the work of Hans Coper, one of Britain’s most influential potters Even broken in two pieces, the rare pot shattered presale estimates. Chiswick Aucitons Finding a shattered ceramic pot in the backyard is not uncommon—unless the shards turn out to be the work of one of the 20th century's most significant ceramicists. That unexpected discovery is exactly what happened to a group of grandchildren, who went to check on their grandmother’s London apartment after she died. In her garden, they stumbled upon a large ceramic pot that was broken into two pieces covered in snails and surrounded by weeds. But even in this state, the grandchildren, whose names have not been revealed, could tell that the pot was not just garden variety. If put together, the two pieces of the pot would have stood at nearly four feet tall, and unlike typical pots, it was shaped with abstract flares and features. Since their grandmother moved in artistic circles, the grandchildren called an auction house in West London to assess the find. “From afar you couldn’t tell what it was, especially as it was covered in weeds,” Jo Lloyd, a ceramic specialist at Chiswick Auctions who visited the pot in situ, tells the Times of London’s Laurence Sleator. But upon closer inspection, Lloyd recognized the signature style and monographic seal of Hans Coper, a German-born British studio potter whose influential works mixed abstract form with functional elements. The pot seen in its original form in 1964 Jane Coper / Chiswick Auctions As it turned out, the woman who had the pot in her back garden had commissioned the work from Coper in 1964 after admiring his works at an exhibition. She had accidentally broken the pot, but instead of throwing it away, repurposed the two hunks as planters in her garden, per the Times. Although the pot had seen better days, the auction house valued it between roughly $8,000 and $13,000. But the unique pot smashed presale estimates. At the auction last week, the Coper pot was the subject of a 10-minute bidding war between individuals in London, Denmark and New York, per Artnet’s Jo Lawson-Tancred. In the end, it sold for $63,250, including fees, to the bidder in the United States. “Everyone is thrilled. The vendor didn’t expect the vessel to achieve its estimate so they are over the moon,” Maxine Winning, head of design at Chiswick Auctions, tells the Times. “The fact that you can sell a really damaged ceramic for that sort of price goes to prove how collectible and highly regarded Hans Coper is.”Coper was born into a middle-class Jewish family in Germany in 1920. His early life was marked by personal and political trauma, with his father’s suicide and the rise of Nazism forcing the teenager to flee to England in 1939, according to a statement from the auction house. It was only after the war that Coper got his start in the art world. On a recommendation, Coper visited Lucie Rie, an Austrian-born potter who had also fled the Nazis and was known to hire other refugees. She started him on crafting ceramic buttons but recognized his talent and soon sent him to learn clay throwing from Heber Mathews. Eventually, Rie and Coper began to make pottery collaboratively. Coper became increasingly interested in ancient pottery, applying black manganese to a style of white clay known as “T-Material” and sanding and scoring the vessel until it imitated something excavated from the ground. That mottled texture is immediately apparent on the pot sold last week as well as other iconic works by Coper, such as the robust candlesticks he designed for Coventry Cathedral in England. Hans Coper's identifying seal stamped into the clay vessel Chiswick Aucitons Coper’s ceramics have garnered great success, earning spots at museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which calls him “arguably Britain’s most important post-war ceramic artist.” While more than $60,000 may seem like a steep price for a broken vessel that requires an estimated $10,000 for restoration, per the Times, Coper’s works have fetched massive sums at auction. His seven highest-selling works have all sold for at least $500,000, according to Artnet, with the record set at nearly $900,000 for an ovoid pot in 2021. The pot sold at auction last week is one of the tallest works Coper ever made, making it exceedingly unique in his illustrious oeuvre. For now, however, the vessel remains in two pieces. As Lloyd tells the Times, it “requires careful attention to restore it to its former glory.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

How much will Trump’s threatened 245 percent tariffs truly impact Chinese goods and the prices we pay in the US? Some Chinese companies aren’t waiting to see. Anbernic, which makes excellent and controversial Nintendo Game Boy clones, is already suspending US shipments indefinitely.“Due to changes in U.S. tariff policies, we will be suspending all orders shipping from China to the United States starting today,” writes Anbernic. “We strongly recommend prioritizing products shipped from our U.S. warehouse, which are currently not affected by import duties and can be purchased with confidence.”No, Anbernic didn’t set up a brand-new US warehouse in response to tariffs — it’s been an option on its storefront for some time. Generally, Anbernic begins by drop-shipping each new handheld from China directly to buyers’ homes after they’re introduced, then stockpiles additional units in US warehouses for faster ship times. Anbernic lets buyers pick which warehouse they prefer on its checkout page.As of last week, Anbernic had already begun suggesting that US buyers pick its US warehouse because “orders shipped to the United States may be subject to high customs duties,” asking customers to “take this potential risk into account when making your purchase decisions.”But now, the company is suspending those shipments entirely — similarly to how acclaimed retro game scaler maker RetroTINK suspended shipments not just because of tariffs, but “due to lack of guidance on how tariffs will be collected.” I checked: while you can still add a Anbernic handheld to your US cart from a Chinese warehouse, the company offers plenty of warnings and won’t let you purchase it from there.“Shipping not available.” Image: Anbernic, Sean Hollister / The VergeOne reason for Anbernic’s popularity is that its retro handhelds are cheap, typically around $70 for the newest models. (Some also do an excellent job emulating the look and feel of classic Nintendo handhelds, as you can see in my videos above and below.) But those low prices are now completely under threat by Trump’s tariffs and the removal of the de minimis exemption for cheap Chinese goods. It’s not clear if or how companies like Anbernic could afford to resume shipments, should those tariffs actually take hold.For the time being, Anbernic handhelds are also still available in the US via third-party sellers like Amazon — which I’ve always found surprising given that those ones typically come with Nintendo, Sega and Sony ROMs.Retro Handhelds has a handy regularly updated page keeping track of handheld tariffs; so far, Anbernic is the only one to suspend US shipments entirely.See More:

In this notebook, we demonstrate how to build a fully in-memory “sensor alert” pipeline in Google Colab using FastStream, a high-performance, Python-native stream processing framework, and its integration with RabbitMQ. By leveraging faststream.rabbit’s RabbitBroker and TestRabbitBroker, we simulate a message broker without needing external infrastructure. We orchestrate four distinct stages: ingestion & validation, normalization, monitoring & alert generation, and archiving, each defined as Pydantic models (RawSensorData, NormalizedData, AlertData) to ensure data quality and type safety. Under the hood, Python’s asyncio powers asynchronous message flow, while nest_asyncio enables nested event loops in Colab. We also employ the standard logging module for traceable pipeline execution and pandas for final result inspection, making it easy to visualize archived alerts in a DataFrame. !pip install -q faststream[rabbit] nest_asyncio We install FastStream with its RabbitMQ integration, providing the core stream-processing framework and broker connectors, as well as the nest_asyncio package, which enables nested asyncio event loops in environments like Colab. All this is achieved while keeping the output minimal with the -q flag. import nest_asyncio, asyncio, logging nest_asyncio.apply() We import the nest_asyncio, asyncio, and logging modules, then apply nest_asyncio.apply() to patch Python’s event loop so that you can run nested asynchronous tasks inside environments like Colab or Jupyter notebooks without errors. The logging import readies you to instrument your pipeline with detailed runtime logs. logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO, format="%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s") logger = logging.getLogger("sensor_pipeline") We configure Python’s built‑in logging to emit INFO‑level (and above) messages prefixed with a timestamp and severity, then create a dedicated logger named “sensor_pipeline” for emitting structured logs within your streaming pipeline. from faststream import FastStream from faststream.rabbit import RabbitBroker, TestRabbitBroker from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, validator import pandas as pd from typing import List We bring in FastStream’s core FastStream class alongside its RabbitMQ connectors (RabbitBroker for real brokers and TestRabbitBroker for in‑memory testing), Pydantic’s BaseModel, Field, and validator for declarative data validation, pandas for tabular result inspection, and Python’s List type for annotating our in‑memory archives. broker = RabbitBroker("amqp://guest:guest@localhost:5672/") app = FastStream(broker) We instantiate a RabbitBroker pointed at a (local) RabbitMQ server using the AMQP URL, then create a FastStream application bound to that broker, setting up the messaging backbone for your pipeline stages. class RawSensorData(BaseModel): sensor_id: str = Field(..., examples=["sensor_1"]) reading_celsius: float = Field(..., ge=-50, le=150, examples=[23.5]) @validator("sensor_id") def must_start_with_sensor(cls, v): if not v.startswith("sensor_"): raise ValueError("sensor_id must start with 'sensor_'") return v class NormalizedData(BaseModel): sensor_id: str reading_kelvin: float class AlertData(BaseModel): sensor_id: str reading_kelvin: float alert: bool These Pydantic models define the schema for each stage: RawSensorData enforces input validity (e.g., reading range and a sensor_ prefix), NormalizedData converts Celsius to Kelvin, and AlertData encapsulates the final alert payload (including a boolean flag), ensuring a type-safe data flow throughout the pipeline. archive: List[AlertData] = [] @broker.subscriber("sensor_input") @broker.publisher("normalized_input") async def ingest_and_validate(raw: RawSensorData) -> dict: logger.info(f"Ingested raw data: {raw.json()}") return raw.dict() @broker.subscriber("normalized_input") @broker.publisher("sensor_alert") async def normalize(data: dict) -> dict: norm = NormalizedData( sensor_id=data["sensor_id"], reading_kelvin=data["reading_celsius"] + 273.15 ) logger.info(f"Normalized to Kelvin: {norm.json()}") return norm.dict() ALERT_THRESHOLD_K = 323.15 @broker.subscriber("sensor_alert") @broker.publisher("archive_topic") async def monitor(data: dict) -> dict: alert_flag = data["reading_kelvin"] > ALERT_THRESHOLD_K alert = AlertData( sensor_id=data["sensor_id"], reading_kelvin=data["reading_kelvin"], alert=alert_flag ) logger.info(f"Monitor result: {alert.json()}") return alert.dict() @broker.subscriber("archive_topic") async def archive_data(payload: dict): rec = AlertData(**payload) archive.append(rec) logger.info(f"Archived: {rec.json()}") An in-memory archive list collects all finalized alerts, while four asynchronous functions, wired via @broker.subscriber/@broker.publisher, form the pipeline stages. These functions ingest and validate raw sensor inputs, convert Celsius to Kelvin, check against an alert threshold, and finally archive each AlertData record, emitting logs at every step for full traceability. async def main(): readings = [ {"sensor_id": "sensor_1", "reading_celsius": 45.2}, {"sensor_id": "sensor_2", "reading_celsius": 75.1}, {"sensor_id": "sensor_3", "reading_celsius": 50.0}, ] async with TestRabbitBroker(broker) as tb: for r in readings: await tb.publish(r, "sensor_input") await asyncio.sleep(0.1) df = pd.DataFrame([a.dict() for a in archive]) print("\nFinal Archived Alerts:") display(df) asyncio.run(main()) Finally, the main coroutine publishes a set of sample sensor readings into the in-memory TestRabbitBroker, pauses briefly to allow each pipeline stage to run, and then collates the resulting AlertData records from the archive into a pandas DataFrame for easy display and verification of the end-to-end alert flow. At the end, asyncio.run(main()) kicks off the entire async demo in Colab. In conclusion, this tutorial demonstrates how FastStream, combined with RabbitMQ abstractions and in-memory testing via TestRabbitBroker, can accelerate the development of real-time data pipelines without the overhead of deploying external brokers. With Pydantic handling schema validation, asyncio managing concurrency, and pandas enabling quick data analysis, this pattern provides a robust foundation for sensor monitoring, ETL tasks, or event‑driven workflows. You can seamlessly transition from this in‑memory demo to production by swapping in a live broker URL (RabbitMQ, Kafka, NATS, or Redis) and running faststream run under uvicorn or your preferred ASGI server, unlocking scalable, maintainable stream processing in any Python environment. Here is the Colab Notebook. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and join our Telegram Channel and LinkedIn Group. Don’t Forget to join our 90k+ ML SubReddit. Sana HassanSana Hassan, a consulting intern at Marktechpost and dual-degree student at IIT Madras, is passionate about applying technology and AI to address real-world challenges. With a keen interest in solving practical problems, he brings a fresh perspective to the intersection of AI and real-life solutions.Sana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/LLMs Still Struggle to Cite Medical Sources Reliably: Stanford Researchers Introduce SourceCheckup to Audit Factual Support in AI-Generated ResponsesSana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/Stanford Researchers Propose FramePack: A Compression-based AI Framework to Tackle Drifting and Forgetting in Long-Sequence Video Generation Using Efficient Context Management and SamplingSana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/LLMs Can Be Misled by Surprising Data: Google DeepMind Introduces New Techniques to Predict and Reduce Unintended Knowledge ContaminationSana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/LLMs Can Now Learn to Try Again: Researchers from Menlo Introduce ReZero, a Reinforcement Learning Framework That Rewards Query Retrying to Improve Search-Based Reasoning in RAG Systems

DeepSeek R1: Pioneering Research and Engineering as a Competitor to Pure Scaling Approaches 0 like April 21, 2025 Share this post Last Updated on April 21, 2025 by Editorial Team Author(s): Nehdiii Originally published on Towards AI. Dr Vegaounk from One Piece anime image generated with ChatGPT DeepSeek-R1 landed unexpectedly just as many researchers, myself included, were attempting to reverse-engineer OpenAI’s o1 model. It revealed the inner workings of o1 and dispelled the myth that revolutionary algorithms were being developed in secret. Rather than simply releasing a model, DeepSeek provided a comprehensive paper detailing its algorithms, architecture, and training approach. The models were made open-source and freely accessible, although the dataset remains undisclosed. In an era where leading AI labs are tightening access to research due to growing competition, DeepSeek opted for transparency over secrecy. What’s even more remarkable is the global impact DeepSeek-R1 had. Many referred to it as a Sputnik moment. Initially, I assumed the hype was confined to academic and research communities — but I was wrong. It sent shockwaves through the entire U.S. economy, erasing $1 trillion from the stock market and causing the largest drop in Nvidia’s history — losing $600 billion in market value. The momentum didn’t end there. DeepSeek R1 became the most-downloaded free app on the App Store, even surpassing ChatGPT. Friends and family began reaching out, trying to understand what was going on. The scale of the impact exceeded all… Read the full blog for free on Medium. Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming a sponsor. Published via Towards AI Towards AI - Medium Share this post