DeepSeek craze unleashes wave of paid AI courses on Chinese social media

Since artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek's free, open-source chatbot caught fire in China and around the world, a torrent of AI-related courses has begun flooding across mainland social media platforms, with prices ranging from 9.9 yuan (HK$10.55) to 599 yuan.

These courses cover a wide scope of topics spanning basic concepts and app usage to advanced techniques that include command sets, as well as strategies for using DeepSeek in e-commerce operations.

A popular DeepSeek community that charges 61 yuan for membership has earned more than 180,000 yuan in revenue solely from entry fees, within just a month of DeepSeek’s surge in popularity.

However, some consumers have noticed that many of these so-called training courses are merely compilations of publicly available online information. Experts have also advised against paying for such courses, arguing that many fall below professional standards.

Last Thursday, DeepSeek’s official team issued a statement clarifying that, aside from its official WeChat user group, it has not established any other groups on domestic platforms. The company warned that any claims of affiliation with official DeepSeek groups for paid services are fraudulent.

STAFF REPORTER