A year on from DeepSeek shock, get set for flurry of low-cost

One year after Chinese startup DeepSeek rattled the global tech industry with the release of a low-cost artificial intelligence model, its domestic rivals are better prepared, vying with it to launch new models, some designed with more consumer appeal.



The Hangzhou-based firm's meteoric rise in early 2025, during China's Spring Festival holiday, upended China's AI industry, pushing low-cost, open-source models to the forefront of its AI ecosystem.



This time, DeepSeek will be joined by several other firms in launching new products around China's longest and busiest holiday period, which officially begins on February 15.



While the industry was stunned when DeepSeek broke through with a strong AI model despite U.S. export controls restricting access to advanced semiconductors, now the market wants to see what Chinese companies come up with next.



Zhipu AI on Wednesday released its latest AI model, which it said features enhanced coding capabilities and the ability to perform long-running tasks without any user prompts.