How to use DeepSeek in Cursor AI

We are in the middle of the DeepSeek AI and if you are a programmer or somebody who wants to ride the DeepSeek bandwagon, this guide is for you. In this post, we are going to learn you can use DeepSeek R1 in Cursor AI locally.

What is Cursor AI?

Cursor AI is a smart code editor that helps programmers with coding tasks. It integrates advanced AI features like code completion, debugging assistance, and explanations to make coding easier and more efficient. You can also use it to run and test AI models locally on your machine.

Cursor AI is designed to streamline the development process, reduce errors, and enhance productivity by providing real-time assistance and insights. It’s a valuable tool for developers looking to improve their coding workflow.

How to use DeepSeek in Cursor AI

In the fast-changing world of AI, having control, privacy, and efficiency is more important than ever. Big names like OpenAI and Anthropic lead the field, but many people want options that keep their data safe. DeepSeek R1, an open-source AI model from DeepSeek AI, is a great alternative. It matches the performance of top models, especially in reasoning, math, coding, and logic tasks. You can run it offline on your computer’s CPU, giving you full control over your data.

DeepSeek R1 is an open-source AI model developed by DeepSeek AI. It’s built to perform complex tasks like solving mathematical equations, coding, and logical reasoning. What sets it apart is that you can run it locally on your computer, giving you full control over your data and ensuring privacy.

If you want to use DeepSeek R1 in Cursor, follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Download and install Cursor AI
2. Install CodeGPT
3. Install Ollama
4. Add DeepSeek Model

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] Download and install Cursor AI

Cursor is an AI Code editor that we are going to use for this tutorial. So, first of all, we need to download it from cursor.com. If you already have this program, you move on to the next steps straightway.

Once you have downloaded Cursor’s installation media, run it, and install it on your computer. You need to have the admin privileges to do so. After installing the application, you will have to set it up first, make sure to allow VS Code extensions when prompted.

Note: When I installed Cursor, I got a prompt asking me to allow the program through the Public and Private networks, I did that, and never faced any issues afterward.

Read: How to use Deepseek in Visual Studio Code

2] Install CodeGPT

CodeGPT is an AI-powered tool that we are going to add to Cursor to make it suitable for DeepSeek as the extension is required if you want to run any AI model. It offers features like code generation, completion, debugging assistance, and code explanations.

1. Launch the Cursor app on your computer.
2. Then, go to the Extensions icon and click on it.
3. Search “CodeGPT”, there would be multiple entries, but we want you to look for CodeGPT: Chat & AI Agent.
4. Click on the Install icon to get the extension installed on your computer.

As a side note, make sure to tick the Auto update option if you want to receive updates from the developers.

3] Install Ollama

Ollama AI is a platform that lets you run large language models like Llama 3.3 and DeepSeek-R1 on your local machine. With the help of Ollama, we can run models locally, without making our system vulnerable.

In order to install it, you can follow the steps mentioned below.

1. First, we need to go to ollama.com, the official website of Ollama.
2. Click on the download icon and then select your platform to start the process.
3. Once the setup file is downloaded, double-click on it to run it.
4. The setup window will ask you to click on the Install icon to start the process.

Since this is relatively a large program, it might take a little time to install. So, wait, and once it is done, move on to the next and final step.

Read: How to use DeepSeek V3 Coder in Windows?

4] Add DeepSeek Model

Now that we have the CodeGPT and Ollama installed on our device, let us see how we can access the DeepSeek model. To do so, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Open the CodeGPT Extension in Cursor, and you will see the CODEGPT icon on the left side, if not, click on the drop-down menu and select CODEGPT.
2. Now, click on the Select your AI option.
3. Go to the Local LLMs, in Select your local provider, set Ollama, and in Select Models, set deepseek r1 (make sure to go for the latest version).
4. After setting up everything, you need to click on the Download button.

Once everything is done, you can start using the Deepseek R1 model using CodeGPT. You can find the chatbot in CodeGPT, just go there and start chatting.

We hope that will be able to run the Deepseek R1 model locally on your computer.

Read: How to run DeepSeek locally on Windows 11?

How do I install CodeGPT in Cursor AI?

If you want to install CodeGPT in CursorAI, all you need to do is go to the Extensions marketplace, search for CodeGPT, and click on the Install button. To access it, look for the CodeGPT extension on the left side of the window.

Read: DeepSeek Registration not working: Registration may be busy.