"DeepSeek Restores AI Model Access Amid Intensifying China Tech Competition"

 DeepSeek has reopened access to its core programming interface after nearly three weeks of suspension, resuming a service crucial to the broader adoption of its AI model, which has gained significant popularity since its debut last month.

The 20-month-old Chinese startup shocked Silicon Valley and global markets in January by introducing an AI platform capable of competing with OpenAI’s technology. DeepSeek has now resumed allowing customers to top up credits for its application programming interface (API) after halting top-ups in early February due to capacity constraints. While the service is operational again, server resources will remain limited during peak daytime hours, a DeepSeek representative confirmed in a verified WeChat group.

The timing of DeepSeek’s API reopening coincides with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s preview launch of its latest AI model, QwQ-Max, highlighting the growing competition within China’s AI sector. Meanwhile, ByteDance Ltd, the parent company of TikTok, has also entered the race by testing its own deep reasoning AI model with a select group of users, potentially positioning itself as another major competitor to DeepSeek.

Alibaba has pledged a massive $53 billion (RM234.32 billion) investment over the next three years to strengthen its cloud computing and AI infrastructure. As part of this strategy, the company announced plans to open-source QwQ-Max, reinforcing its commitment to advancing AI development.

DeepSeek’s emergence has reinvigorated China’s technology landscape, sparking a surge in mainland and Hong Kong stocks. Demand for its services has soared since the company introduced an AI chatbot, claiming to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT, despite being developed at a fraction of the cost. Its AI models have already been integrated into numerous Chinese industries. However, DeepSeek is facing scrutiny from foreign governments, including Australia and the U.S., which are considering restrictions due to security concerns.

Last week, DeepSeek announced plans to publicly release key components of its code and data—an unusual move in the competitive AI space. By sharing more of its core technology than rivals like OpenAI, DeepSeek could intensify the AI race between China and the U.S., accelerating advancements in next-generation AI models.