DeepSeek to Launch V4 Model on Huawei Chips

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is set to launch its next-generation model, V4, in the coming weeks, designed to run on processors from Huawei Technologies rather than U.S.-made hardware. The development, based in Beijing, underscores China's accelerating efforts to build an independent AI ecosystem amid ongoing U.S. export restrictions on advanced semiconductors.

DeepSeek has collaborated closely with Huawei and chip designer Cambricon Technologies over the past several months to adapt the model for domestic hardware. This involved rewriting portions of the underlying code and conducting extensive testing to ensure compatibility with Huawei's latest Ascend processors. The company also withheld early access to V4 from American chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD, diverging from typical industry practices that allow multiple vendors to optimize models before release. Instead, priority went to Chinese suppliers, enabling tailored adjustments for local architectures.

In anticipation of the launch, major Chinese technology firms including Alibaba Group, ByteDance, and Tencent Holdings have ordered hundreds of thousands of units of Huawei's upcoming chips, according to individuals familiar...