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Kimi Pauses New Subscriptions as Demand Surges, Rushes to Expand Computing Power

Kimi, the AI assistant platform, has hit a wall—literally. On July 19, the company announced it would pause new consumer subscriptions after a massive surge in user requests overwhelmed its computing infrastructure. The decision, made at midnight, aims to protect the experience of existing subscribers while the team scrambles to add more computing power.

In a statement, Kimi explained that over the past 48 hours, user request volume far exceeded expectations, pushing the current cluster to near capacity. To ensure smooth service for those already paying, the company will prioritize allocating existing resources to subscribed users. Meanwhile, engineers are accelerating expansion plans, and new subscription slots will reopen gradually as fresh computing capacity comes online.

This isn't just a temporary hiccup—it's a sign of the times. As AI applications explode in popularity, providers like Kimi are grappling with the challenge of balancing infrastructure, resource management, and user growth. The pause reflects a broader industry struggle: demand is outpacing supply, and scaling up takes time.

Kimi also announced a change to its subscription model. Going forward, new users will see separate benefits for the main Kimi service and Kimi Code, a specialized offering for coding tasks. The main service covers products like Kimi Web, Kimi App, and Kimi Work, while Kimi Code focuses on code-related scenarios. This split aims to match computing resources more precisely and improve overall stability.

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Key Points

  • Pause in new subscriptions: Kimi stopped accepting new consumer subscribers on July 19 due to a surge in demand.
  • Existing users protected: Current subscribers will continue to receive full service without interruption.
  • Expansion underway: The company is accelerating cluster expansion, with new capacity coming online gradually.
  • Subscription changes: Future new users will see separate plans for main Kimi services and Kimi Code.
  • Industry context: The move highlights the infrastructure challenges facing AI companies as user growth outpaces computing resources.