MBZUAI Enters AI Race with Low-Cost Model K2 Think, Rivals OpenAI and DeepSeek

Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence has released a new low-cost AI reasoning model, K2 Think, to rival OpenAI and DeepSeek. Built on Alibaba's open-source Qwen 2.5 model, K2 Think has 32 billion parameters, significantly smaller than DeepSeek's R1, which has 671 billion parameters. Developed in partnership with G42, K2 Think achieves high performance levels through methods such as long chain-of-thought supervised fine-tuning and test-time scaling.

Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) has made a significant stride in the global AI landscape with the release of K2 Think, a low-cost reasoning model designed to rival OpenAI and DeepSeek. Built on Alibaba's open-source Qwen 2.5 model, K2 Think boasts 32 billion parameters, significantly fewer than DeepSeek's R1, which has 671 billion parameters .

Developed in partnership with G42, a UAE-based AI firm backed by U.S. tech giant Microsoft, K2 Think has achieved high performance levels through innovative methods such as long chain-of-thought supervised fine-tuning and test-time scaling. These techniques enable the model to perform complex reasoning tasks efficiently, making it a formidable competitor in the AI space .

The development of K2 Think signifies the UAE's growing ambition to establish itself as a global leader in AI, aiming to diversify its economy beyond crude oil dependency. This initiative aligns with the country's broader geopolitical strategy to enhance its influence and compete with major AI players like the U.S. and China .

The model's performance is noteworthy, as it has demonstrated parity with OpenAI and DeepSeek in various benchmarks, including AIME24, AIME25, HMMT25, and OMNI-Math-HARD. These benchmarks cover areas such as math, coding, and science, showcasing K2 Think's versatility and effectiveness .

While K2 Think is not intended to be a general-purpose chatbot like ChatGPT, it is designed to serve specific applications in fields like math and science. By condensing the time and resources required for complex reasoning tasks, K2 Think has the potential to expand the reach of advanced AI technologies to regions with limited access to capital and infrastructure .

The introduction of K2 Think underscores MBZUAI's commitment to scientific breakthroughs and its role as a key player in the global AI race. As the model continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how it impacts the AI industry and its geopolitical implications.

References:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eric-xing-b34a0b_in-recognition-of-sheikh-khalifas-contribution-activity-7370486651946446848-cvbb
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/09/abu-dhabi-launches-ai-reasoning-model-to-rival-openai-deepseek.html