Moonshot AI seeks more Nvidia chips for larger Kimi K4 model

Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI is in discussions to acquire additional Nvidia ↗ 2.87% Blackwell-architecture GPUs to train its next model, Kimi K4, which would be larger than its 2.8 trillion-parameter Kimi K3, according to a report from The Information published Monday. The move highlights how Chinese AI labs continue to push for more advanced computing hardware even as US export controls restrict their access to cutting-edge chips.x

From K3's Breakout to K4 Ambitions

The push for more compute follows the breakout success of Kimi K3, which Moonshot unveiled on July 16 at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. The model, the largest open-weight AI system ever released, proved so popular that demand overwhelmed the company's GPU clusters within 48 hours of launch, forcing Moonshot to temporarily pause new subscriptions.thenextweb+3

"Over the past 48 hours, demand has pushed close to the limits of our current capacity," Moonshot said in a statement posted on X. "Our GPUs are feeling it." The company said it would reopen new subscription slots in batches as additional computing infrastructure came online.scmp+2

On Monday, Moonshot released the full model weights for Kimi K3, making it freely downloadable for developers worldwide, according to Bloomberg.bloomberg

US Scrutiny Over Chip Access

The report of Kimi K4 planning arrives amid heightened tension between Washington and Beijing over AI chip access. Last week, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, accused Moonshot of having "acquired GB300-equipped servers and has accessed GB300s in Thailand, likely to train its AI models," in violation of US export controls, according to CNBC.cnbc

The GB300 is part of Nvidia's Blackwell architecture, which remains restricted for export to China. Under rules codified in January 2026, the US loosened restrictions on older H200 chips but maintained controls on more advanced hardware, with volume caps and end-use certifications required for permitted exports.cfr+1

The Compute Race Intensifies

Moonshot's appetite for additional GPUs underscores a broader pattern among Chinese AI labs racing to scale up training runs despite hardware constraints. Kimi K3, with 2.8 trillion parameters, already dwarfs competitors like DeepSeek V4 at 1.6 trillion parameters. A K4 model described as "significantly larger" would require substantially more compute than what produced K3.fortune+1

The startup, backed by Alibaba ↘ 1.17%, has not publicly commented on K4 development plans. Whether Moonshot can secure the Blackwell chips it seeks — and through what channels — remains an open question as US officials intensify scrutiny of how Chinese firms access restricted American technology.finance.yahoo+1