Blogs / DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp: Experimental Model with Sparse Attention Technology for Cost Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp: Experimental Model with Sparse Attention Technology for Cost Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp: مدل آزمایشی با فناوری توجه پراکنده برای کاهش هزینه و افزایش کارایی

Introduction

The artificial intelligence world is witnessing a remarkable transformation with the introduction of DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp, an experimental model that pushes the boundaries of traditional transformer architectures. By introducing the innovative DeepSeek Sparse Attention (DSA) mechanism, this model has managed to reduce API costs by over 50% while significantly improving the efficiency of processing long texts. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, has demonstrated with this model's release how architectural innovation can maintain output quality while minimizing computational costs.
DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp has been developed as an intermediate step between version V3.1-Terminus and the next generation of architecture. This model, with 671 billion parameters, possesses impressive processing power and has improved training and inference efficiency in long-context scenarios without reducing output quality by using fine-grained sparse attention techniques. This article provides an in-depth examination of the features, architecture, applications, and advantages of this advanced model.

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp Architecture: Innovation in Sparse Attention

Architectural Foundation and Parameters

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is built on the V3.1-Terminus architecture and still features 671 billion parameters. This model was developed under training conditions similar to the previous version to accurately evaluate the impact of the sparse attention mechanism. Benchmark results show that V3.2-Exp's performance across various domains is nearly equivalent to V3.1-Terminus, highlighting the importance of architectural innovation without quality degradation.
This model utilizes the MoE (Mixture of Experts) architecture, which enables the distribution of computational load among different experts. This approach allows the model to operate more efficiently in various specialized domains, including mathematics, competitive programming, logical reasoning, and agentic coding.

DeepSeek Sparse Attention: The Model's Beating Heart

The most significant innovation in V3.2-Exp is the introduction of the DeepSeek Sparse Attention (DSA) mechanism. This technology implements fine-grained sparse attention for the first time, breaking down the limitations of traditional transformer architectures. In traditional architectures, each token must interact with all other tokens, and this brute-force approach increases computational costs.
DSA uses a module called the Lightning Indexer to quickly score past tokens and rank their importance. Then, a separate system called the fine-grained selector keeps only the most relevant tokens for computing attention weights. This selective approach significantly reduces computational complexity in processing long texts.
The DSA mechanism significantly increases training and inference efficiency in long-context scenarios while maintaining model output quality. This innovation not only reduces computational costs but also enables faster processing of massive datasets.

Comparison with Previous Generation: V3.1-Terminus

To accurately evaluate the impact of sparse attention, DeepSeek completely aligned the training configurations of V3.2-Exp with V3.1-Terminus. Results show that across various benchmarks such as MMLU-Pro, GPQA-Diamond, and LiveCodeBench, the performance of both versions is nearly identical. For example, both models scored 85.0 on the MMLU-Pro benchmark, and on AIME 2025, V3.2-Exp performed slightly better with a score of 89.3 compared to V3.1-Terminus (88.4).
This comparison demonstrates that the new architecture has improved efficiency without reducing output quality. In the domain of agentic tool use, V3.2-Exp also performed better on benchmarks such as BrowseComp and SimpleQA.

Advanced Technologies in DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

Post-Training Process: Expert Distillation and Reinforcement Learning

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp employs a two-stage approach in the post-training process, including expert distillation and reinforcement learning. In the first stage, separate models are trained for mathematics, competitive programming, logical reasoning, agentic coding, and agentic search.
These experts, fine-tuned from a common starting point, are reinforced through large-scale training to generate specialized data. This data is then distilled into the final model, ensuring that the unified model benefits from the specialized knowledge of each domain. This approach enables the model to perform better across different domains.

GPU Kernels and Performance Optimization

To maximize efficiency, DeepSeek has released its GPU kernels in two formats:
  1. TileLang Kernels: These kernels are designed for better readability and research use, enabling rapid prototyping.
  2. CUDA Kernels: High-performance kernels available in DeepGEMM and FlashMLA, designed for optimal performance in production environments.
These kernels include indexer logit kernels and sparse attention kernels that optimize model performance across different hardware. DeepSeek also provides support for NVIDIA H100, H200, H20, and B200/GB200 GPUs.

Tool and Framework Support

V3.2-Exp is supported from day one by popular inference frameworks such as vLLM and SGLang. This day-zero support allows developers to immediately use advanced inference capabilities. vLLM has provided comprehensive instructions for using this model, including installing necessary libraries and environment configuration.
This model is also available through the DeepSeek API, which has become very cost-effective for developers and companies with a price reduction of over 50%. This price reduction has been achieved while maintaining output quality.

Practical Applications of DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

Long Text Processing and Document Analysis

One of the most prominent applications of V3.2-Exp is processing very long texts. With the sparse attention mechanism, this model can process massive documents with high efficiency. This capability is very useful for analyzing legal contracts, scientific articles, financial reports, and specialized documents.
The model can manage large text windows while reducing computational costs. This feature is of great importance for organizations dealing with large volumes of textual data and can improve analysis processes.

Programming and Software Development

V3.2-Exp has shown remarkable performance in coding benchmarks. It scored 74.1 on LiveCodeBench and ranked 2121 on Codeforces, demonstrating its high ability to solve complex programming problems. This model can assist developers in the following areas:
  • Writing and improving complex code
  • Debugging and code optimization
  • Generating code in various programming languages
  • Answering technical questions and providing guidance
The model also scored 74.5 on the Aider-Polyglot benchmark, showing its ability to work with different programming languages.

Search and Agentic Tool Use

One of the outstanding features of V3.2-Exp is its excellent performance in agentic tool use. On the BrowseComp benchmark, this model scored 40.1 and 47.9 on its Chinese version, showing significant improvement over the previous version. This capability is very important for the following applications:
  • Intelligent web search and information extraction
  • Interaction with APIs and external services
  • Automating complex tasks
  • Creating multi-agent systems
On the SimpleQA benchmark, the model also scored 97.1, demonstrating its high accuracy in answering simple questions.

Mathematics and Logical Reasoning

V3.2-Exp also performs remarkably in mathematics and logical reasoning. On the AIME 2025 benchmark, the model scored 89.3, which is even better than the previous version. On GPQA-Diamond, with a score of 79.9, it has shown its high ability to solve complex problems.
This model can be used in the following cases:
  • Solving advanced mathematical problems
  • Theorem proving
  • Complex statistical analyses
  • Mathematical modeling

Organizational and Business Applications

For organizations and businesses, V3.2-Exp provides diverse opportunities:
  1. Intelligent Customer Support: Creating advanced chatbots that can answer complex questions with high accuracy.
  2. Big Data Analysis: Processing and analyzing large volumes of textual data at lower cost.
  3. Content Generation: Creating quality content for websites, blogs, and social networks.
  4. Translation and Localization: Translating documents and content into different languages with high accuracy.

Advantages and Challenges of DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

Key Advantages

Significant Cost Reduction: One of the most important advantages of this model is the reduction of API costs by over 50%. This cost reduction has been achieved while maintaining output quality. For organizations using large-scale language models, these savings can be very significant.
Increased Efficiency in Long Texts: The DSA mechanism enables the model to process long texts with greater speed and efficiency. This feature is very important for applications requiring massive document processing.
Similar Performance to Previous Version: Despite architectural changes, V3.2-Exp has maintained similar performance to V3.1-Terminus. This demonstrates that architectural innovation without quality reduction is possible.
Open Source Nature: Releasing the model as open source with an MIT license allows the developer community to use and improve this technology.
Extensive Support: Day-one support by popular frameworks and different hardware makes using this model easy for developers.

Challenges and Limitations

Experimental Nature: V3.2-Exp is an experimental model and may require more optimization in some scenarios. DeepSeek has emphasized that this model is designed as an intermediate step.
Need for Advanced Hardware: For optimal use of this model, powerful GPUs such as NVIDIA H100 or H200 are needed, which have significant hardware costs.
Implementation Complexity: Implementing the DSA mechanism requires specialized technical knowledge and may be challenging for some developers.
Limitations in Some Benchmarks: In some benchmarks such as Humanity's Last Exam, V3.2-Exp performed slightly weaker than the previous version.
Need for Further Optimization: As DeepSeek has noted, there is a need for more iterations in mask design and kernel integration.

Comparison with Competitors and Market Position

Comparison with OpenAI Models

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp takes a different approach compared to OpenAI models like GPT-4 by introducing the sparse attention mechanism. While GPT-4 focuses on using traditional transformer architectures, DeepSeek has managed to reduce costs through architectural innovation. This model can be a serious competitor to commercial models, especially for applications with high cost sensitivity.
In terms of performance, V3.2-Exp has comparable performance to advanced OpenAI models in some benchmarks. For example, in coding and logical reasoning domains, this model has achieved similar results.

Comparison with Google Gemini

Compared to Google's Gemini models, DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp has its main advantage in cost reduction and improved efficiency in long texts. Gemini models also have powerful capabilities in text and image processing, but DeepSeek's approach to cost optimization may be more attractive for many applications.

Comparison with Anthropic Claude

Anthropic's Claude models are also strong competitors that focus on safety and output quality. DeepSeek follows a different approach by focusing on efficiency and cost reduction. Both models have their strengths in different areas, and the choice between them depends on users' specific needs.

Position in Open Source Ecosystem

One of the key advantages of DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is its open source nature. This feature allows the developer community to examine, improve, and customize the model. In the open source ecosystem, this model can play an important role in advancing research and developing new technologies.

Future of DeepSeek and Next-Generation Models

Future Development Path

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp, as an experimental model, is a starting point for the next generation of architectures. This model, by proving the efficiency of the sparse attention mechanism, paves the way for further improvements. DeepSeek has emphasized that this model is an intermediate step and future generations will be released with more optimizations.
Future versions are expected to use more advanced techniques in mask design and kernel integration. Also, improvement in support for different hardware and increased efficiency in various scenarios are among the priorities for future development.

Impact on the AI Industry

The introduction of the DSA mechanism can have a significant impact on the AI industry. This innovation demonstrates how creative thinking in architecture can both improve efficiency and reduce costs. This approach can be a model for other AI companies.
Reducing computational costs can provide access to advanced language models for a wider range of users and organizations. This can help democratize AI technology and enable more innovation in this field.

Future Research Perspectives

DeepSeek, by releasing the model as open source and providing a technical paper, has helped the research community better understand the DSA mechanism. Researchers are expected to develop new techniques based on this innovation and address current limitations.
Future research can focus on improving token selection algorithms, optimizing memory consumption, and increasing inference speed. Also, examining the application of this technique in different modalities such as image and video can be an interesting direction for research.

Connection with Other AI Technologies

Integration with Machine Learning and Deep Learning

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp, as an advanced deep learning model, uses complex neural network architectures. This model, by utilizing advanced machine learning techniques, has achieved remarkable performance in various domains.
The model's connection with transformers is very deep, as DSA is a direct innovation in the transformer attention architecture. This advancement can be a model for improving other transformer-based models.

Application in Natural Language Processing

V3.2-Exp is one of the most advanced tools for natural language processing. This model can be used in various NLP applications such as machine translation, text summarization, sentiment analysis, and question answering. The ability to process long texts makes it ideal for analyzing complex documents and comprehensive reports.
The model also performs excellently in interacting with users through intelligent chatbots and can provide accurate and coherent responses to complex questions.

Impact on Generative AI

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp also has diverse applications in the field of generative AI. This model can generate quality textual content and assist in creative processes such as story writing, creating advertising content, and generating code.
Given its strong performance in coding benchmarks, this model can be used as a powerful tool for software developers and accelerate the programming process.

Guide to Using DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp

Access via API

The simplest way to use V3.2-Exp is access through the DeepSeek API. With a price reduction of over 50%, this API has become very cost-effective for developers and companies. To use the API, simply obtain an API key and send your requests to the relevant endpoint.
DeepSeek has provided comprehensive documentation for using the API, including code samples and step-by-step guides. Also, for comparison with the previous version, V3.1-Terminus is available through a temporary API until October 15.

Using Open Source Weights

For advanced users, DeepSeek has released model weights on HuggingFace. This capability allows developers to run the model locally and make necessary customizations. To use open source weights, you need powerful hardware such as multiple NVIDIA H100 or H200 GPUs.
The usage process includes downloading weights, converting them to the required format, and launching the inference server. DeepSeek has provided sample code in the inference folder that makes using the model easy.

Docker and Container Support

For ease of deployment, DeepSeek has provided Docker images for different hardware:
  • NVIDIA H200: lmsysorg/sglang:dsv32
  • AMD MI350: lmsysorg/sglang:dsv32-rocm
  • NPUs: Dedicated images for A2 and A3
These Docker images include all necessary dependencies and can be set up quickly.

Using vLLM and SGLang

vLLM and SGLang are two popular frameworks for language model inference that support V3.2-Exp from day one. To use vLLM, simply run the relevant command with the model name. SGLang also provides full support for this model and enables the use of advanced features such as tensor parallelism and data parallelism.
These frameworks provide many optimizations for improving inference speed and efficiency, making the model practical in production environments.

Security and Ethical Considerations

Privacy and Data Security

Using large language models like V3.2-Exp requires attention to security and privacy issues. Organizations must ensure that sensitive data is properly protected and appropriate encryption is used. Also, clear policies for using these tools should be developed.
Using open source weights can enable organizations to run the model locally and prevent sending data to external servers.

Ethical Considerations in AI Use

Ethics in artificial intelligence is an important topic that should be considered when using advanced models like V3.2-Exp. Users should avoid generating harmful, discriminatory, or misleading content and use these tools responsibly.
Also, transparency about using AI in content generation is important, and users should clearly state that content has been generated by AI.

Responsibility for Model Outputs

Despite significant advancements, language models may still generate incorrect or misleading outputs. Users should review model outputs and ensure their accuracy. Using these tools as an assistant rather than a complete replacement for human judgment is recommended.

Cost and Return on Investment Comparison

Cost-Benefit Analysis

The over 50% reduction in API costs is one of the most attractive features of V3.2-Exp. For organizations using large-scale language models, these savings can significantly reduce operational costs.
For example, if an organization spent $10,000 monthly on language model API usage, using V3.2-Exp could reduce this cost to around $5,000. This savings over a year could reach $60,000.

Comparison with Alternative Options

Compared to other commercial language models, V3.2-Exp has a significant price advantage. This model significantly reduces costs while maintaining output quality, making it very suitable for cost-sensitive applications.
Also, the ability to use open source weights allows organizations to run the model locally if needed and avoid API costs.

Return on Investment in Different Applications

Return on investment from using V3.2-Exp depends on the type of application. For applications such as customer support, content generation, and data analysis, this model can significantly increase productivity and consequently provide rapid return on investment.

User Experience and Training

Learning Curve for Developers

Using V3.2-Exp through the API is relatively simple, and developers experienced in working with RESTful APIs can quickly get started. DeepSeek has provided comprehensive documentation including code samples in different programming languages.
For using open source weights, more knowledge in deep learning and GPU management is needed. However, provided sample code and guides can facilitate this process.

Learning Resources and Support

DeepSeek has provided various resources for learning and support:
  • Comprehensive technical paper on GitHub
  • Complete API documentation
  • Code samples on HuggingFace
  • Online forums for discussion and experience sharing
Also, the open source community is rapidly developing more guides and tutorials that can help new users.

Best Usage Practices

For best results from V3.2-Exp, it is recommended to:
  • Use appropriate prompt engineering
  • Adjust model parameters based on your needs
  • Optimally use long text processing capability
  • Review and correct model outputs as needed
  • Use cached versions for similar queries

Future of Natural Language Processing with Sparse Architectures

Impact on Academic Research

The introduction of the DSA mechanism can guide academic research in natural language processing. This innovation shows how creative thinking in architecture can overcome existing limitations. Researchers worldwide are expected to develop new techniques based on this idea.
Universities and research centers can use this open source model for student training and conducting research projects. This can contribute to the advancement of science and technology in this field.

Potential for New Applications

Sparse architecture can open the way for new applications that were previously not feasible due to computational limitations. For example, processing very long documents, analyzing complex medical data, and creating advanced multi-agent systems can benefit from this technology.
Also, reducing computational costs can enable the use of language models in devices with limited resources and expand access to this technology.

Convergence with Other Technologies

Sparse architectures are expected to combine with other emerging technologies such as quantum computing, blockchain, and Internet of Things to create innovative solutions.
Also, integrating this technology with Edge AI can enable intelligent processing in local devices and reduce cloud dependency.

Conclusion

DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp represents a turning point in the evolution of language model architectures. By introducing the DeepSeek Sparse Attention mechanism, this model has managed to solve the long-standing challenge of reducing computational costs without reducing output quality. The over 50% reduction in API costs along with maintaining performance at a level similar to the previous version is a remarkable achievement that can transform the AI industry.
This model, with 671 billion parameters and the ability to process long texts with high efficiency, is suitable for a wide range of applications from programming and mathematics to document analysis and customer support. Its open source nature with an MIT license provides an opportunity for the developer community and researchers to develop new solutions based on this innovation.
Despite challenges such as the need for advanced hardware and implementation complexity, the advantages of this model outweigh its limitations. DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp is not only a successful commercial product but also provides a model for the future of AI architectures where efficiency, quality, and accessibility coexist.
The future of natural language processing with sparse architectures looks bright, and this technology is expected to play an important role in democratizing access to advanced artificial intelligence in the coming years and enable new applications that were previously only imaginable.