AI startup DeepSeek facing hack, blocks questions about CCP [Video]

DeepSeek is temporarily limiting new user registrations amid what the China-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup is calling “large-scale malicious attacks,” while users who have begun using its AI assistant note it won’t discuss topics that are politically sensitive in China, including the Tiananmen Square massacre.

DeepSeek’s announcement of a new AI model last week that touted a comparable performance to OpenAI’s ChatGPT at a lower cost than U.S. peers spurred a surge in interest that propelled its AI assistant to the top of the Apple App Store ahead of ChatGPT.

The sudden emergence of what’s perceived as a challenger to U.S. firms’ AI edge prompted a sell-off of leading tech stocks on Monday, while DeepSeek found itself battling a cyberattack and taking steps to curb sign-ups as it deals with those issues.

“Due to large-scale malicious attacks on DeepSeek’s services, we are temporarily limiting registrations to ensure continued service,” DeepSeek wrote in a post on …