DeepSeek Suspends Developer Top-ups as AI Applications Soar
DeepSeek Halts Developer Top-ups
DeepSeek has temporarily stopped developers from topping up their accounts to access the Chinese start-up's artificial intelligence (AI) models, a signal of the overwhelming popularity of its products.
The company on Thursday disabled the top-up button on its platform website. A notice attributed the change to server resource constraints, but added that existing balances can still be used.
Popularity of DeepSeek's AI Models
DeepSeek, based in Hangzhou, China, gained worldwide fame last month after it released the V3 large language model (LLM) and R1 reasoning model, which showcase capabilities comparable to ChatGPT's offerings from OpenAI, yet developed at lower costs.
DeepSeek's chatbot, launched on January 10, has seen a rapid increase in daily active users, surpassing 22 million and closely trailing ChatGPT. DeepSeek’s services are cheaper compared to OpenAI’s, which further enhances its market appeal.
Market Impact and Future Outlook
Major Chinese cloud service providers, including Alibaba Group Holdings, have incorporated DeepSeek's models into their platforms, boosting interest in China's tech firms. The Hong Kong Hang Seng Tech Index has risen, reflecting growing investor confidence.
Despite its rising profile, DeepSeek has remained silent about its future strategies, turning away job seekers and media recently, which raises questions about its next moves.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.