When AI Needs Backup: Kimi's Computing Power Dilemma

What happens when an AI chatbot gets too popular for its own good? Moonshot AI's Kimi recently found out the hard way. Users began seeing error messages like "Insufficient computing power during peak hours" as the service struggled under heavy traffic.

The Breaking Point

During peak usage times, Kimi automatically switched to a stripped-down "fast mode" and suggested users upgrade their memberships. But even these measures couldn't prevent intermittent outages that left fans frustrated.

An Unconventional Solution

Instead of typical corporate excuses, Kimi's team responded with refreshing candor: "Well, we're looking for computing power. How about using DeepSeek first?" This unexpected referral to what would normally be considered a competitor sparked both amusement and admiration online.

"It's like seeing two rival restaurants share kitchen space during a dinner rush," remarked one Weibo user. Others praised the move as "the most honest PR response in tech history."

Bigger Than One Bot

The incident reveals two critical trends in China's booming AI sector:

• User growth is exploding: Domestic large language models are attracting unprecedented numbers of users
• Resources remain tight: Even well-funded players struggle to secure enough high-performance computing capacity

Industry analysts note that while companies race to develop more powerful models, infrastructure simply hasn't kept pace with demand. Some compare it to building race cars without enough gas stations.

What Comes Next?

The temporary workaround raises interesting questions about cooperation in competitive tech spaces. Could we see more instances of AI services supporting each other during crunch times? For now, Kimi's team continues searching for additional computing resources while maintaining their sense of humor about the challenges.

Key Points:

• Kimi experienced service disruptions due to insufficient computing capacity
• The official response included an unusual recommendation to try rival service DeepSeek
• The incident highlights both rapid adoption of Chinese AI tools and ongoing resource constraints
• Industry watchers suggest infrastructure development needs to accelerate alongside model innovation