I just tested DeepSeek vs. Meta AI with 5 prompts to crown a winner

(Image credit: Future)

In the fourth round of AI Madness DeepSeek vs Meta face off against each other with the same five prompts I used in the last three rounds. In case you missed it, yesterday Gemini and Mistral faced off.

Here's a little about the competitors going head-to-head today.

Meta AI is the AI division of Meta Platforms, focusing on advancing AI technologies and their integration into Meta's products and services.

1. Accuracy & factuality

DeepSeek screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

Meta AI Madness screenshot — (Image credit: Future)

Prompt: "What were the top three highest-grossing movies worldwide in 2024, and how much did each earn?"

Meta AI did not answer the question correctly.

DeepSeek did not answer the question correctly.

Winner: Meta AI wins. Technically neither chatbot should win this round. However, Meta delivered the more accurate answer and aligns closer to the actual box office figures for 2024.

2. Creativity & natural language

Prompt: "Create a whimsical conversation between a coffee mug and a smartphone, arguing about which one is more essential in daily life."

Meta AI lacked the whimsical tone requested in the prompt. It presented the debate in a more formal manner, which doesn't fully capture the playful essence I requested.

DeepSeek stands out for its creativity and engagement. The dialogue is lively, with the coffee mug and smartphone exchanging witty banter that highlights their respective roles in daily routines. The use of playful language and personification adds depth to their characters, making the conversation both entertaining and relatable.

Winner: DeepSeek wins for delivering a truly whimsical and imaginative exchange between the two subjects and closely responding to the prompt.

3. Efficiency & reasoning

Prompt: "A couple needs to choose between buying an electric car or a traditional gasoline car. List key factors they should consider and briefly explain the reasoning behind each one."

Meta AI used clear headings with bullet points that provided insightful analyses covering key factors such as cost, environmental impact, incentives and more.

DeepSeek offered a more narrative and nuanced discussion of each factor but presented fewer bullet points within each factor.

Winner: Meta AI wins for an easy-to-follow response with helpful information and extra tips.

4. Usefulness & depth

Prompt: "Provide detailed instructions on how to safely back up and secure personal digital files, including the best tools, recommended practices and common mistakes to avoid."

Meta AI provided a list of backup options and suggestions including mistakes to avoid and best practices.

DeepSeek detailed a variety of backup options and encryption tools as well as including best practices, advising users to organize their files and recommends scheduling regular backups.

Winner: DeepSeek wins for a more comprehensive and actionable guide, detailing specific tools and practices to enhance data security.

5. Understanding context

Prompt: "Create a storyboard outline describing each frame of a short animated sequence featuring a friendly dragon teaching kids about recycling."

Meta AI delivered an informative outline, but the AI lacked imagination and detailed elements for a more interactive storyline that a young audience would appreciate.

DeepSeek created a vivid and engaging narrative that included interactive sorting games, recycling transformation and a celebratory cleanup to captivate a young audience.

Winner: DeepSeek wins for an approach that not only educates but also entertains with a story that is acceptable for all audiences.

Overall winner: DeepSeek

These two AI models are very different in their abilities and tone, so I had no idea what to expect going in to this experiement.

However, after running the structured tests comparing Meta AI and DeepSeek across various tasks, DeepSeek emerged as the overall winner, consistently providing well-structured, informative responses that were both engaging and creative.

The responses seemed more thoughtful and often added extras to ensure the prompt was fully answered, making it the overall winner in this challenge.