(FILES) Floor signage for the offices of DeepSeek (C) is seen in Beijing on January 28, 2025. For weeks now, the global tech industry has been waiting for a major artificial intelligence launch from DeepSeek, seen as a benchmark for China's progress in the fast-moving field.More than a year has passed since the startup put Chinese AI on the map in early 2025 with a low-cost chatbot that performed at a similar level to US rivals.But despite reports and rumours about its imminent release, DeepSeek's next-generation "V4" model is nowhere in sight. (Photo by PETER CATTERALL / AFP via Getty Images) / TO GO WITH STORY: China-technology-AI-DeepSeek, FOCUS by Katie Forster, with Luna Lin