Overview
Moonshot AI is in talks to build Kimi K4, a proposed next-generation model larger than its existing K3, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The Beijing-based startup would need more advanced Nvidia AI chips to train the new model, even though U.S. regulations limit the supply of that technology to Chinese firms.
Training of Kimi K3
People familiar with Moonshot's operations said the company trained Kimi K3, the largest open-source model to date with 2.8 trillion parameters, using Nvidia processors, including the most advanced Blackwell series. Three sources provided that information, which aligns in part with a social media statement by Michael Kratsios, a White House senior official.
Plans for K4 and chip access
Two of the sources said Moonshot is actively seeking access to additional Blackwell chips as it prepares for potential future models such as K4. Securing more of that class of hardware would be a prerequisite for training a model larger than K3, according to the people briefed on the company's plans.
Location of training and regulatory frictions
There are differing accounts of where K3 training took place. Kratsios stated that the model was trained at a data center in Thailand, a location where Chinese access to Nvidia chips might comply with U.S. rules. However, one of the three sources said some training occurred partly in China. That person noted that Chinese regulations on cross-border data transfers make it difficult to relocate the massive datasets required for pre-training to an overseas data center.
Constraints and context
Moonshot’s pursuit of more advanced Nvidia chips intersects with U.S. export controls that restrict the flow of certain high-end AI semiconductors to Chinese companies. At the same time, Chinese rules governing the transfer of large training datasets introduce logistical hurdles for moving pre-training data abroad, according to a source.
What remains uncertain
Sources differ on the exact geography of K3’s training and on how Moonshot will resolve both chip access and data transfer challenges if it proceeds with K4. The company’s reported need for additional Blackwell chips and the competing regulatory regimes are the central constraints identified by people briefed on the matter.