DeepSeek’s namesake chatbot recorded lower downloads and user numbers in the second quarter, according to a new report, as artificial intelligence (AI) apps specifically designed for study or office work gained traction.
In the three months to June, the average monthly download of DeepSeek’s chatbot fell 72 per cent to 22.6 million from the previous quarter, when the Hangzhou-based start-up benefited from the wide popularity of its V3 and R1 AI models, according to Monday’s report by market research firm QuestMobile in collaboration with state-funded newspaper National Business Daily.
While the chatbot’s monthly active users (MAUs) of 170 million still topped the mainland Chinese market, that number was down 9 per cent quarter on quarter.
DeepSeek’s chatbot was overtaken by ByteDance-owned Doubao, which posted average monthly downloads of 29.8 million in the second quarter, up 9.5 per cent from the previous three-month period, the QuestMobile report showed. Doubao’s MAUs grew 30 per cent to 130 million in the June quarter.
Some other popular general-purpose chatbots also saw their downloads decline in the second quarter, which reflected a shift in which consumer-facing AI apps are now more popular in China.
The average monthly downloads for Tencent Holdings’ Yuanbao tumbled 54 per cent to 61.8 million, while those of Moonshot AI’s Kimi fell 58 per cent to 35.3 million, according to QuestMobile.
“This trend clearly shows that the phase of mere ‘chatbots’ is over,” the report said.
