In the rapidly evolving domain of generative artificial intelligence (genAI), the Chinese model DeepSeek-R1, launched in January 2025, emerges as a formidable contender. This model mirrors the capabilities of its Western counterparts by adeptly analyzing complex data to drive innovation across diverse fields with remarkable efficiency and scalability. However, DeepSeek-R1 distinguishes itself through its transparency and cost-effectiveness, attributes that are particularly advantageous in resource-limited settings and stand in sharp contrast to other genAI models. This review explores the pivotal role of DeepSeek-R1 in healthcare, emphasizing its facilitation of adoption and stimulation of innovation in low-income environments-an area where its impacts markedly diverge from its applications in other fields. By inclusion of ten recent records, this review showed that DeepSeek-R1 has proven especially effective in supporting pediatric clinical decisions and demonstrating robust performance in the analyses related to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The findings presented chronologically throughout this review highlighted the rapid rise of DeepSeek-R1 in gaining global recognition. Collectively, these contributions underscore DeepSeek-R1’s crucial role in transforming healthcare delivery and advancing the frontiers of precision medicine, thereby solidifying its position as a critical agent of technological breakthroughs in the medical sector.
