Is It Time to Build Your Own GPT? A How-To Guide on Using Open Source Models and Deepseek as Alternative Solutions
- Anis Hamadouche
- Feb 22
- 5 min read
As artificial intelligence shapes how we work and connect, many are asking whether to rely on ready-made solutions or create a custom model. With tools like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) sparking widespread interest, individuals and organizations are exploring the potential of crafting their own personalized models. This guide will help you navigate the world of open-source models and the Deepseek platform, both of which offer viable paths to developing tailored AI solutions.
Understanding Open Source Models
Open-source models are collaborative frameworks that invite users to adapt and innovate. They come with solid documentation, paving the way for modifications and enhancements. For instance, using an open-source model can open doors to a custom GPT experience that aligns with your specific goals.
Advantages of Open Source Models
Several compelling benefits accompany the adoption of open-source models:
Cost-Effectiveness: Open-source platforms remove the financial barrier of licensing fees. This can save organizations up to 50% of costs associated with commercial alternatives, allowing resources to be directed towards other critical aspects of your project.
Community Support: A robust community of developers and researchers backs open-source models. For example, forums and platforms like GitHub can provide valuable troubleshooting assistance and code snippets.
Control Over Data: Building your own model allows for better control over the data. A survey from Privacy International reveals that 85% of users are concerned about data privacy when using commercial AI solutions.
Flexibility and Customization: Open-source models allow users to tailor functionalities to meet specific requirements, which is especially beneficial for niche applications.
Popular Open Source Models to Consider
GPT-Neo
GPT-Neo is a leading open-source alternative developed by EleutherAI. It is designed to replicate the performance of proprietary models while remaining accessible.
Key Features of GPT-Neo
Versatility: Suitable for multiple applications, including chatbots and language translation. For example, a business might use GPT-Neo to generate customer service responses based on previous interactions.
Scalability: It maintains performance even with diverse tasks. In fact, tests show it can handle up to 10 different requests simultaneously without significant lag.
Free Access: Easily downloadable, users can modify GPT-Neo to fit their particular needs without any upfront costs.
GPT-J
GPT-J is another impressive model from EleutherAI known for its capabilities.
Key Features of GPT-J
Performance: GPT-J is capable of generating text that is coherent and contextually sound. In evaluations, it has been shown to achieve an 81% similarity score to human-written text.
Ease of Use: Its user-friendly interface is particularly beneficial for beginners. Guides are available to help new users get started within hours.
Extensive Documentation: Resources from the community make it easier for developers to implement GPT-J effectively.
Hugging Face Transformers
The Hugging Face library houses numerous pre-trained models, including various GPT versions. It has become a favorite among developers for its accessibility.
Key Features of Hugging Face Transformers
Variety of Models: Users can choose models specifically optimized for tasks such as sentiment analysis or summarization, enhancing project outcomes.
Active Community: Regular updates and plugins from the community ensure users stay informed about the latest developments.
User-Friendly: The library streamlines processes related to model training and deployment, making it suitable for both novices and experts alike.
Setting Up Your Environment
To begin model development successfully, preparing your work environment is essential. Here's a checklist to guide you:
Hardware Requirements: Equip your machine with adequate GPU resources. A setup with at least 16GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GPU can significantly enhance performance.
Software Installation: Install essential libraries like TensorFlow or PyTorch, which are often required for open-source models to function effectively.
Code Editor Setup: Using an IDE like Visual Studio Code can increase your coding efficiency, particularly with AI development.

Data Collection and Preprocessing
Effective data collection and preprocessing are crucial, as the quality of your data will directly impact your model's performance.
Choosing the Right Dataset
Select datasets that align with your intended application. Several sources include:
Public Repositories: Platforms like Kaggle offer extensive datasets across various fields, from healthcare to finance. For instance, users can access over 100,000 datasets on Kaggle alone.
Web Scraping: If suitable datasets are unavailable, consider web scraping to gather necessary information from websites.
Data Cleaning: Once you've collected your data, ensure it is cleaned. This includes removing duplicates and irrelevant information. Good data cleaning can improve model accuracy by as much as 20%.

Training Your Model
Training your model is where you’ll refine its capabilities. Follow these steps to ensure success:
Configuring Hyperparameters
Before training, set your hyperparameters, including:
Learning Rate: Adjust this regularly to help the model learn effectively.
Batch Size: Testing different batch sizes can yield optimal results; larger sizes often enhance performance in complex models.
Running the Training Session
Once your parameters are set, initiate training. The specifics depend on your selected model, but the general approach includes:
Command Line Interface: Use CLI commands provided with most open-source models. Always refer to the model’s documentation for precise commands.
Monitoring Training: Track metrics, such as loss and accuracy, and make necessary adjustments to yield the best results.
Evaluating Performance
After training, test your model with new datasets to gauge effectiveness.
Validation Loss: Aim to minimize validation loss while ensuring the model generalizes well. Aiming for a loss rate of below 0.1 is often a good benchmark.
Fine-Tuning: Based on the evaluation results, consider fine-tuning the model to enhance its performance further. This could involve retraining it with additional data or adjusting hyperparameters.

Implementing Deepseek as an Alternative
If the idea of creating a model seems overwhelming, platforms like Deepseek provide tailored solutions without the need to start from scratch.
Key Features of Deepseek
Accessibility: Deepseek offers an intuitive interface, making integration into various applications straightforward.
Unique Models: They focus on providing models trained on specific datasets, enabling more personalized applications.
Community Support: Like open-source models, Deepseek has a supportive community that shares tips and experiences.
Custom AI Models: Looking Ahead
As data becomes more accessible and technologies evolve, the landscape of AI continues to expand. Whether you choose to build your own GPT model with open-source frameworks or utilize Deepseek, both paths grant you the flexibility and control needed to develop tailored applications.
Ultimately, your decision to build or adopt a pre-existing solution will depend on your objectives, resources, and level of technical expertise. Ready-made solutions offer convenience, while open-source models allow you to shape your AI to meet specific needs. By embracing one of these strategies, you can unlock innovative opportunities that enrich your projects and provide customized functionality. Your journey toward creating your AI solution starts today.
References
DeepSeek Official Websitehttps://www.deepseek.com
DeepSeek Platformhttps://platform.deepseek.com
DeepSeek LLM: Scaling Open-Source Language Models with Longtermism (arXiv Paper)https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.02954
DeepSeek-V2: A Strong, Economical, and Efficient Mixture-of-Experts Language Model (arXiv Paper)https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.04434
DeepSeek-Coder: When the Large Language Model Meets Programming - The Rise of Code Intelligence (arXiv Paper)https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.14196
DeepSeek-R1 is now available on Azure AI Foundry and GitHub (Microsoft Blog)https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/deepseek-r1-is-now-available-on-azure-ai-foundry-and-github/
DeepSeek - Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeepSeek
Why AI Spending Isn't Slowing Down (The Wall Street Journal)https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-chatgpt-chips-infrastructure-openai-81cf4d40
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says the DeepSeek Reaction Was Wrong. Here's Why. (Barron’s)https://www.barrons.com/articles/deepseek-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-4ab1b0fa
China taps tech talent to boost AI data centre boom (Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/3d6601f0-c7cf-48a8-9ae2-e9820dedf0b0
Is AI really thinking and reasoning - or just pretending to? (Vox)https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/400531/ai-reasoning-models-openai-deepseek
Transcript: Making money from AI - After DeepSeek (Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/b1e6d069-001f-4b7f-b69b-84b073157c77
How DeepSeek's Lower-Power, Less-Data Model Stacks Up (The Wall Street Journal)https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/deepseek-ai-how-it-works-725cb464
Tencent's Weixin app, Baidu launch DeepSeek search testing (Reuters)https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/tencents-messaging-app-weixin-launches-beta-testing-with-deepseek-2025-02-16/
DeepSeek explained: Everything you need to know (TechTarget)https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/DeepSeek-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know
What is DeepSeek and why is it disrupting the AI sector? (Reuters)https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/what-is-deepseek-why-is-it-disrupting-ai-sector-2025-01-27/
DeepSeek's Popular AI App Is Explicitly Sending US Data to China (Wired)https://www.wired.com/story/deepseek-ai-china-privacy-data/
DeepSeek is here. Should you use it in your business? (The Times)https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/deepseek-is-here-should-you-use-it-in-your-business-mg7m7csff
Tuesday briefing: How an unknown Chinese startup wiped $593bn from the value of an AI giant (The Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/tuesday-briefing-first-edition-donald-trump-gaza-proposal
What is DeepSeek? Why China's latest AI model is spooking Wall Street and Silicon Valley (New York Post)https://nypost.com/business/what-is-deepseek-all-about-chinas-latest-ai-model/
Silicon Valley Is Raving About a Made-in-China AI Model (The Wall Street Journal)https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/china-ai-deepseek-chatbot-6ac4ad33
China's DeepSeek Surprise (The Atlantic)https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/01/deepseek-china-ai/681481/
China's AI DeepSeek gives CHILLING responses to human rights & Taiwan queries (The Sun)https://www.thesun.ie/tech/14609707/chinas-ai-deepseek-chilling-responses-human-rights/
Comments