DeepSeek is introducing discounts of up to 75% during off-peak hours to help alleviate surges in demand for its application programming interface (API). Starting Wednesday, users will be able to access the DeepSeek V3 model for half its standard price from 12:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Beijing time. Additionally, the R1 model, which powers the company’s namesake chatbot, will see a price reduction of 75%.
This initiative comes as the Hangzhou-based AI startup faces overwhelming interest and demand from users and developers eager to leverage its technology. Competitors, including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Perplexity AI, have begun incorporating DeepSeek’s models, alongside various state entities in China, such as departments within the Hong Kong government.
On Tuesday, DeepSeek also reopened the option for users to top up credits for API access, although it has warned that capacity will be limited during daytime hours. Since the release of its reasoning chatbot on January 20, DeepSeek has challenged conventional beliefs regarding the costs associated with developing robust AI models. It has garnered attention as a serious contender to OpenAI while requiring significantly lower development expenses. This has fueled a surge in Chinese tech and internet stocks, as investors anticipate further growth for these companies, despite the constraints imposed by U.S. chip trade restrictions.
