- Open-weight models are becoming the foundation for the next AI ecosystem, similar to how Kubernetes became the center of gravity in cloud-native infrastructure.
- A sufficiently capable open platform attracts complementary innovation far beyond what any single vendor can achieve alone.
- Self-hosting for data and cost control is the initial driver, but open weights enable adaptation, fine-tuning, and redistribution, creating a rich ecosystem.
- Frontier open-weight models from Chinese labs like GLM-5.2 and Kimi K3 are narrowing the gap with closed models, and their ecosystem is growing rapidly.
- A US ban on Chinese open-weight models would cut off American developers from a major innovation ecosystem, ceding leadership to the rest of the world.
- The US should compete by releasing frontier-grade American open-weight models, using government procurement to demand portability, building the supporting stack, and setting independent safety standards instead of blanket bans.