Can DeepSeek beat the best American models? When I tested DeepSeek in June, the outputs were garbage. This morning, I gave it a re-test…

Like in June, I asked DeepSeek three real questions I need the answer to.

Last time, it scored a B-. Let’s see if DeepSeek’s recent updates have made a difference.

Round 1: Drone Defense

Germany and Denmark have seen several mysterious drone incursions. These drones may have been sent by the Russians.

So I wondered, what is the state of the art in drone defense? 

DeepSeek gave me a good overview of drone defense. It covered techniques from microwaves (tends to fry all electronics in the area) to machine guns (only useful on the battlefield). 

I would’ve liked more detail on which startups are leading in drone defense. But overall, DeepSeek gave a good answer with lots of citations.

I’ll give this round an A-. 

Round 2: Learning About Gardening

Enough of the war stuff. Can DeepSeek teach me about gardening?

I recently saw a news segment about the Miyawaki Method. Gardeners used it to turn a quarter acre in Summit, NJ into a tiny forest. 

DeepSeek gave me an awesome overview of the Miyawaki Method. The method uses careful soil preparation and dense planting to help the forest grow faster.

DeepSeek’s answer was superb with lots of relevant citations. I’m giving this round an A+!

Round 3: Planning My Christmas Trip

I’m heading up to Wisconsin for Christmas again this year. I’m looking forward to seeing my mom and some old friends!

I asked DeepSeek to help me find the best time to book my trip. Can it save me some money?

DeepSeek’s answer was completely wrong. This is worse than no answer at all.

It tells me I can’t fly directly from Newark to Milwaukee. That’s totally untrue — there are many direct flights each day!

I’ve taken this trip enough times to know that DeepSeek is wrong. But for some, this mistake could lead them to book a much less convenient itinerary.

I’m giving this round an F.

Final Grade

DeepSeek has improved significantly in some ways since my June test. 

In June, it didn’t cite any sources. That made it impossible to trust it.

Now, DeepSeek cites sources beautifully. 

But for all its improvements, DeepSeek still says things that are blatantly wrong. When I use Grok or Gemini, I hardly ever get these hallucinations.

Overall, I’m giving DeepSeek a C+. That’s actually down from the B- in my last test.

Wrap-Up

As a consumer, there’s no reason to use DeepSeek. The best American models give better answers.

But for developers, DeepSeek can be a good choice. 

It’s one of the cheapest models to run. If it gives you the output you need for your application, consider it. 

Sometimes cheap beats perfect.

Do you use DeepSeek? 

More on tech: 

Testing DeepSeek’s New Model

GPT-5 vs. Grok 4: Which Model Is King?

Grok 4: The Best AI Model Ever?

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