OpenAI’s Open-Weight Move Sparks AI Race with China

OpenAI’s launch of GPT-oss marks a strategic shift in the AI race, offering open-weight models to compete with China’s thriving open-source ecosystem. Sam Altman hailed it as the ’most usable open model,’ but experts note it falls short of full open-source status. Chinese firms like DeepSeek and Alibaba already dominate with broader model offerings, pushing OpenAI to narrow the gap.

China’s open-source momentum, fueled by models like Qwen and Kimi K2, could position it as the global AI standard-setter if the US lags. Analysts suggest Chinese companies may accelerate releases and integrate models into platforms like WeChat to lock in developers. ’If the US doesn’t invest, AI standards will become Chinese,’ warns researcher Natham Lambert, highlighting risks for American tech dominance.

While OpenAI’s move signals cultural progress, experts call it ’symbolic’ rather than transformative. The timing, coinciding with Trump’s AI plan, hints at political undertones. With Meta and Google also embracing open-weight models, the battle for AI supremacy hinges on who controls the foundational tech—and the values embedded within it.

AIOpenAIChinaopen-sourceGPT-osstechnology raceSam AltmanDeepSeekMetaGoogle