The war between competing AI models could end up more like Apple vs. Android than VHS vs. Betamax

The tech world has been consumed recently by the debate over open-weight and closed AI models, but it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game.

The arguments cut across business, political, and safety issues. For example, lower-cost open models could take market share from closed rivals, like Anthropic and OpenAI, and reduce demand for chips.

U.S. AI companies also warn that Chinese open models are quickly closing the performance gap, potentially translating to a military edge, while also accusing China of stealing technology via illegal “distillation.”

In addition, critics of open models warn they lack safety guardrails that would prevent them from being misused to develop nuclear, biological, or cyber weapons.

But closed models have their downsides too. Safety regulations could reduce competition and protect providers of closed models.

Limiting access to the most advanced models also leaves users vulnerable to regulatory risk, like when the U.S. government effectively banned Anthropic’s most powerful Claude models for several weeks due to........

© Fortune