Gemini a bit slower when Deepseek under attack (January 2025)
In recent weeks, I've noticed a peculiar trend: the Gemini REST API, a widely-used service for developers, has shown signs of latency. Even more troubling are the frequent "503 Overloaded" error messages many have encountered. It seems this degradation in performance corresponds with an attack on Deepseek, another prominent player in the artificial intelligence ecosystem. This notion isn't baseless; after some digging, I stumbled upon a discussion thread where Logan Kilpatrick, a representative voice in the AI community, provided some insights. He mentioned, "Hey folks, we are not moving capacity away from 1.5 models right now. Looks like we might be getting hit by a DDoS attack. Will follow up as we mitigate this."
There is a time correlation between Deepseek and Gemini capacity issues
The temporal relationship between the issues facing Deepseek and Gemini is hard to ignore. Both entities, operating in similar technological ecosystems, may share infrastructure or have intertwined services that could lead to such a correlation. During the times when Deepseek experienced difficulties, Gemini too reported an increase in latency and server errors. This suggests that the assault on Deepseek might be indirectly impacting Gemini or perhaps both services are under simultaneous stress.
Timing can sometimes be a mere coincidence, but the parallel struggles of these services raise questions about their reliability and vulnerability. As developers, users, and industry watchers, we need to delve deeper into understanding the shared or intersecting systems that could lead to such cascading service failures.
I think there is a dirty war between all the big players in the AI field
The competitive landscape of AI has always been fierce, but the current occurrences hint at something beyond the usual business competition—perhaps a more clandestine war is brewing. With the financial stakes and potential power balance hanging on AI dominance, one can only speculate about the lengths companies or undisclosed entities might go to gain an upper hand.
The coincidence of Gemini and Deepseek facing capacity issues simultaneously leads me to consider the possibility of targeted disruptions aimed at destabilizing players in the AI race. Cyber attacks, especially DDoS attacks as suggested by Kilpatrick, are prevalent tactics used to handicap operational capacities. While there is no concrete proof pointing fingers, the indirect evidence raises enough suspicion that it cannot be dismissed.
As developers and technology enthusiasts, staying informed and vigilant about these incidents is crucial. The war for AI supremacy will not only shape the trajectory of technology but also dictate how reliant global systems adapt to such evolving disruptions.
