Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Limits User Registration After Massive Cyberattack"

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 28 — DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup whose chatbot recently overtook OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the most downloaded app on Apple’s US App Store, has been hit by large-scale cyberattacks. As a result, the company is limiting new user registrations due to service disruptions.

Based in Hangzhou, DeepSeek has gained attention for offering AI capabilities that rival industry leaders like Nvidia, but at a fraction of the cost. Its success sent shares of major AI-related tech companies plummeting.

Despite competing with US AI firms, DeepSeek’s chatbot offers a range of services like song lyric generation and recipe creation, though it is subject to China's censorship policies, limiting its interactions on political topics.