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DeepSeek Unveils V4 for Huawei Ascend: 1.6T-Param Pro Outshines Open-Source

4/26/2026

Summary

DeepSeek Unveils V4

DeepSeek previewed V4 on April 24 2026 for Huawei Ascend chips.
V4 offers a Pro version with 1.6 trillion parameters and a Flash version with 284 billion, both having a one-million-token window.
DeepSeek claims V4-Pro outperforms all open-source models in world-knowledge, trailing only Google Gemini 3.1 Pro.
Huawei confirms Ascend 950 supernodes support V4.
DeepSeek says the Pro tier may cost twelve times Flash tier, though prices could fall as Ascend supernodes scale this year.

Summary

DeepSeek Accelerates

DeepSeek preview launched hours after OpenAI released GPT-5.5, highlighting the accelerating global AI race.
Marc Andreessen called DeepSeek’s rise an “AI Sputnik moment,” reflecting strong investor enthusiasm.
DeepSeek began its first external fundraising round to expand computing capacity and raise talent compensation.
DeepSeek partnered with Huawei’s Ascend platform to reduce reliance on foreign chips and strengthen China’s domestic AI infrastructure.

History

Historical Context

In May 1997 IBM’s Deep Blue, upgraded to evaluate 200 million chess positions per second, defeated world champion Garry Kasparov 3½–2½, the first computer win over a reigning champion in a match. The breakthrough showed specialized hardware’s impact and sparked ongoing AI rivalry; today systems such as DeepSeek’s V4-Pro are seen as a modern parallel, driving China’s push for domestic chips and strategic AI investment.

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DeepSeek Unveils V4

DeepSeek previewed V4 on April 24 2026 for Huawei Ascend chips.
V4 offers a Pro version with 1.6 trillion parameters and a Flash version with 284 billion, both having a one-million-token window.
DeepSeek claims V4-Pro outperforms all open-source models in world-knowledge, trailing only Google Gemini 3.1 Pro.
Huawei confirms Ascend 950 supernodes support V4.
DeepSeek says the Pro tier may cost twelve times Flash tier, though prices could fall as Ascend supernodes scale this year.

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