Research company: DeepSeek's new AI model is the most cost-effective well-known model to date.

According to a research institution, a version of the flagship AI model from the Chinese startup DeepSeek has a running cost in benchmark tests that is far lower than that of globally recognized models, and is over 100 times cheaper to operate than Anthropic's Claude Fable 5. Sources indicate that DeepSeek is preparing for a potential initial public offering; the company officially released its V4-Flash model last Friday, which is its latest attempt to rejuvenate its development momentum by leveraging its strongest advantageproviding ultra-low-cost AI alternatives. According to the research firm Artificial Analysis, DeepSeek's V4-Flash model charges $0.14 per million input tokens and $0.28 per million output tokens. A token is a unit of data used to measure AI usage. Based in San Francisco, Artificial Analysis estimates the average test cost of V4-Flash at three cents per run, while Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 costs 86 cents, OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol costs $1.86, and Claude Fable 5 costs $3.15.