Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

The growing use of open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models from China by American technology and AI companies has drawn significant attention and sparked intense discussion within the US industry.

As reported by the NBC News on Sunday, the growing embrace of Chinese AI models could pose a problem for the AI industry in the US, as the phenomenon raises questions as to whether America’s pursuit of closed models might be misguided, with some experts even labeling America’s lack of powerful open-source models an “existential” threat to democracy.

Western media outlets have increasingly noticed Silicon Valley’s turn toward Chinese AI tools. A Bloomberg article last month, headlined “How Much of Silicon Valley Is Built on Chinese AI?” pointed out that Chinese models have overtaken those from the US in terms of cumulative downloads by developers, with Alibaba Qwen’s downloads surpassing Meta Platforms Inc’s Llama, and derivative systems built on Qwen accounting for more than 40 percent of new language models.

Another Bloomberg piece pondered whether “DeepSeek moments” are becoming the new normal in AI.

Such a shift is no accident. It stems from market rationality intersecting with the divergent developmental paths of the US and Chinese AI industries. At heart, business decisions prioritize technical performance, cost efficiency, and development agility. For entrepreneurs, particularly in coding and software development who need to ship products rapidly, Chinese open-source models present a compelling solution. They compete with top-tier international models in capability while providing decisive cost advantages. 

Moreover, their open-source nature, which permits downloading, fine-tuning, and local deployment, inherently addresses concerns around data privacy and content security.

Analytical data further illuminates this dynamic. According to Jefferies analysts cited by Bloomberg, while Chinese tech giants’ combined capital expenditures from 2023 to 2025 were 82 percent lower than those of their US peers, the performance gap between their leading models has become razor-thin. This convergence of low cost and high performance precisely explains the pragmatic choices made in Silicon Valley and underscores the growing global appeal of China’s open-source approach.

A telling example comes from Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of the San Francisco-based online accommodation booking giant Airbnb, who openly said that the firm “relies heavily” on Alibaba’s Qwen models to power its AI-driven customer service agent. This real-world adoption clearly demonstrates that developers are “voting” with their code, and this is more compelling than any performance ranking. It proves that market recognition ultimately hinges on a technology’s practical value and affordability.

This market-driven reality reflects the increasingly distinct trajectories of AI development in China and the US. Leading American companies such as OpenAI focus on advancements sustained by closed-source, high-margin business models. In contrast, major Chinese AI actors such as DeepSeek have embraced an open-source philosophy centered on widespread popularization. While striving for technological excellence, they are committed to lowering application thresholds through open collaboration, encouraging AI application in manufacturing, services, and even daily life more rapidly.

Against this backdrop, some voices within the US view this development with anxiety, seeing it as an erosion of American technological advantage. This concern stems partly from anxiety over a potential shift in technological leadership and is amplified by a zero-sum mindset. 

Yet, it is crucial to recognize that over-politicizing technology flows may pose a greater threat to one’s own innovation ecosystem. From chip restrictions to various technological barriers, past strategies aimed at containing China’s innovation have frequently stimulated and accelerated Chinese self-reliance while simultaneously constraining opportunities for American companies. The AI sector need not repeat this counterproductive pattern.

China’s progress in open-source AI is the result of persevering with open innovation amid external pressure. It demonstrates to the world that the true value of technological progress lies in connection and collaboration. For the global community, the greatest risk lies not in where a technology originates, but in the doors of cooperation being shut, fracturing the global network of innovation and delaying the historical process of AI empowering all of humanity.