Moonshot AI said its open-weight Kimi K3 drew demand beyond available compute after debuting as a lower-cost rival to leading OpenAI and Anthropic systems.
Moonshot AI has restricted new user registrations after demand following the launch of its open-weight Kimi K3 outpaced available computing resources. The company said Kimi K3 can compete with leading OpenAI and Anthropic systems at lower cost while converting compute into AI capability more efficiently. After the debut, Moonshot AI halted new subscriptions because demand exceeded capacity and began prioritizing paid existing users while it works to optimize model efficiency and add computing power. Huang Zhenxin, the company’s enterprise business head, told the STAR Market Daily that a broader recovery timeline will depend on available resource reserves. Kimi K3 quickly became a major topic on China’s internet and drew comparisons with Anthropic Claude and xAI’s upcoming Grok 4.6.