Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is expected to launch its next-generation AI model, V4, in mid-February, with a strong focus on coding capabilities, The Information reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the report, internal testing by DeepSeek employees indicates that the V4 model could outperform leading rivals such as Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT series in software development and coding-related tasks. The model is also said to show major improvements in handling extremely long and complex coding prompts, a feature that could give developers an edge when working on large-scale or intricate software projects.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the report, and DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Based in Hangzhou, DeepSeek has rapidly emerged as a prominent player in China’s drive to build a domestic AI ecosystem and reduce reliance on foreign technology. The company attracted international attention after several Silicon Valley executives publicly praised its earlier models, including DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1, for their performance and cost efficiency.
In January, Reuters reported that DeepSeek claimed to have developed a low-cost rival to ChatGPT, further boosting its profile in the global AI race. However, the company has also faced scrutiny in some countries over concerns related to data security and privacy practices, highlighting the growing regulatory attention surrounding advanced AI systems.