Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has released K2 Think, a low-cost reasoning model positioned as a rival to OpenAI and China’s DeepSeek. Built on Alibaba’s open-source Qwen 2.5 and powered by Cerebras hardware, K2 Think has 32 billion parameters (far smaller than DeepSeek’s 671 billion) yet researchers claim it delivers comparable performance in math, coding, and science benchmarks. Developed with UAE AI firm G42, backed by Microsoft, the model relies on advanced techniques like chain-of-thought fine-tuning and test-time scaling.
Unlike typical open-source models, MBZUAI treats K2 Think as a deployed system that can be improved over time. The UAE’s push reflects its ambition to join the U.S. and China as global AI leaders, diversifying beyond oil and enhancing geopolitical influence. While not intended as a chatbot like ChatGPT, the model focuses on applications in scientific and mathematical reasoning, aiming to accelerate research while making advanced AI more accessible in regions with limited resources.
Source:
Browne, R. (2025, septiembre 9). Abu Dhabi launches low-cost AI reasoning model in challenge to OpenAI, DeepSeek. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/09/abu-dhabi-launches-ai-reasoning-model-to-rival-openai-deepseek.html