Profiting from Free AI: The Lucrative Business of Selling DeepSeek Installation Packages

When our reporter asked the store's customer service about the product, they replied that while DeepSeek can be downloaded for free, the download process can be difficult. Our reporter purchased the installation package for 9.9 yuan and received a link to a cloud storage file containing text-based installation instructions, video tutorials, and the model itself. However, we discovered that these materials can be easily found online for free. If the sales figures are accurate, the store's revenue would exceed 200,000 yuan, even if all sales were of the basic package.

We also found a paid knowledge community on the "Knowledge Star" app, where a group called "Using DeepSeek to Make Money in College" was ranked first in the weekly wealth chart. The group has over 6,000 members and charges a 62-yuan membership fee. The group's introduction claims that the owner is a veteran programmer who will share usage tips and practical cases to help members utilize DeepSeek to seize AI opportunities and increase efficiency or make money through side hustles. The group also explicitly states that members can sell DeepSeek-related materials, courses, and consulting services, and offers a 3-day refund policy.

扬子晚报

Fri Feb 07 18:00:01 +0800 2025

【#有人卖DeepSeek安装包赚几百万##99元DeepSeek变现课只学到注册账号#】近日，国产AI大模型DeepSeek成为爆款，作为一款开源免费的大模型，这款大模型能否盈利还是个未知数，但靠它盈利的人已经出现了，记者调查发现有人甚至仅靠卖DeepSeek的安装包就赚了几百万元。记者在一家电商平台搜索“DeepSeek”，映入眼帘的商铺从9.9-19.9元不等，其中一家店铺显示销售超过20万份，点进去后记者发现，该商品共有2选项，其中“本地部署+（只有安装包无教程）”售价9.9元，“本地部署+视频教程+一万字保密新手教程”售价19.9元。记者向店铺客服询问，“这个不是免费下载的吗？”客服回答，“是免费下载的，但是很难下载”。记者花费9.9元购买了安装包，随后收到了客服发来的网盘文件，里面为文字版安装说明、视频版安装教程，安装文件和大模型。记者发现，这些所谓的安装教程就是在网上找的，只要动手搜一搜就有，根本用不着花钱。如果按照店铺显示的销售20万+来算，即使售卖的都是最低档的9.9元安装包，店铺收入也超过两百万元。记者在付费知识社群“知识星球”App上发现，“用DeepSeek实战高校赚小钱”排名星球财富周榜第一，打开发现该社群有超过6000+成员，加入需要交费62元。该社群介绍称，群主是资深程序员，在这里会毫无保留地分享使用技巧，结合实际案例，教大家如何利用DeepSeek抓住AI机遇，无论是提供工作效率亦或者是用AI副业变现，你都可以在这里得到答案。至于如何用DeepSeek赚钱，该社群也很直接的表示，“可以卖DeepSeek资料、课程，提供DeepSeek付费咨询等等”，并且还支持3天内退款。记者尝试根据社群介绍添加群主微信，结果显示操作过于频繁，无法添加。如果按照6000+成员，每人收费62元来算，这个社群已经带来了超过36万元的收益。不得不说，进群者能不能赚到钱还是未知数，群主已经先靠DeepSeek赚了一笔了。在短视平台直播间，还有股票博主将DeepSeek介入炒股/期货软件，让AI控制自己的电脑全自动分析行情，这位博主的简介里写道“用DeepSeek前沿模型剖析股（票）期（货）风云，12年投顾经验，14年编程经验，10年私募研究院经验。”在视频下方，许多网友询问如何使用DeepSeek炒股，有人甚至表示自己愿意付费求教程。有网友在网上反映，自己花了99元买了DeepSeek的变现课，本以为能学到一些独家的赚钱技巧，结果教大多都是基础操作，例如如何注册账号、使用基础功能等等，这些在网上完全可以免费找到，根本不需要花冤枉钱。如果往前搜索，在Chatgpt、openAI爆火的年代，这些的“受害者”也有不少，共同点就是金额不大，维权困难，即使维权困难商家大不了退款，自身也没有损失。有业内人士表示：“用DeepSeek在工作中确实能提效，但掌握诀窍的人大多花了很大心思，怎么可能几块钱几十块就卖了？”还有评论称，“19世纪淘金热里，真正发财的是卖铲子的人。现在大家都想靠AI赚钱，于是卖‘AI铲子’又发财了。”（记者姜天圣剪辑周嘉楠）#博主卖DeepSeek相关课程1天收入50000元#扬子晚报的微博视频

1671

178

Weibo

On a short-video platform, a stock blogger was found to be using DeepSeek to analyze stock market trends and offering paid courses on how to use the model for stock trading. The blogger's introduction claims to have 12 years of investment experience, 14 years of programming experience, and 10 years of experience in a private research institute. Many netizens asked in the comments how to use DeepSeek for stock trading, with some expressing willingness to pay for tutorials. This phenomenon is not new, as similar "get rich quick" schemes and tutorials were sold online in the past when ChatGPT and OpenAI were popular, often with questionable value.

A closer look at the sales of DeepSeek installation packages reveals a concerning trend. Despite the free availability of the necessary information online, several stores are selling these packages, often with basic installation guides and videos, for prices ranging from $1.45 to $2.90. Some of these stores claim to have sold over 200,000 copies, generating revenues exceeding $290,000. This raises questions about the legitimacy of these sales and whether consumers are being misled into paying for something they can easily obtain at no cost.

The apparent success of these stores in selling DeepSeek installation packages, despite the free availability of the necessary information online, highlights a blurred line between providing a genuine service and exploiting customers' ignorance. The scale of these operations, with sales figures reaching into the hundreds of thousands, indicates a large and potentially vulnerable market. It's a market where the line between providing value and preying on the lack of awareness or technical savvy of potential buyers is blurred.

Industry insiders have been weighing in on the phenomenon, with a consensus that mastering DeepSeek requires significant effort and dedication, making it unthinkable that such expertise could be sold for mere pennies. Some have drawn historical parallels to highlight the opportunism at play, noting that during the 19th-century gold rush, it was not the gold miners who amassed the greatest fortunes, but the suppliers of pickaxes and other mining tools. In today's rush to profit from AI, it seems that selling 'AI pickaxes'—in the form of access to AI tools like DeepSeek—has become a lucrative business model in its own right.

This reflection prompts a deeper examination of the AI economy and how value is being captured and distributed within it. As AI technologies continue to advance and permeate various industries, the market for AI tools and solutions is likely to expand. However, the phenomenon of selling access to these tools at high prices also raises questions about accessibility, equity, and the potential for monopolistic practices that could stifle innovation. Ultimately, the flurry of activity around DeepSeek and similar AI tools points to a larger narrative about the commercialization of artificial intelligence, highlighting the need for a more nuanced conversation about the role of AI in the economy and the importance of ensuring that its benefits are accessible to all, rather than just a privileged few.