According to a report by the American consumer news and business channel CNBC on July 24, more than 20 companies including Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta, and Palantir jointly issued a letter on Friday, urging U.S. policymakers not to impose 'premature restrictions' on open-source artificial intelligence models, as this could 'stifle competition and force innovation to overseas.'
China's open-source models are gradually narrowing the gap with leading American companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, and they are continuously enhancing their competitiveness. These American companies primarily develop proprietary closed-source models. Government officials and corporate executives have been deliberating whether to restrict American users from using Chinese AI models.
At the beginning of this month, Chinese startup Moonshot AI released the Kimi K3 model. This model surpassed some of the most advanced AI models in the United States in benchmark tests for certain industries, further increasing concerns among the US side.
It has been reported that the Trump administration is considering banning Chinese artificial intelligence models from entering the U.S. market. Senior White House officials have also criticized this decision, claiming that Chinese companies are using a “distillation” method to steal U.S. intellectual property rights, and threatening sanctions.
In response to this, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the development of artificial intelligence in China is both a result of promoting high-level technological self-reliance and independence, and also due to China's consistent adherence to the concept of joint consultation, joint construction, and shared benefits.
In their open letter, these American technology companies warned that hasty actions should be avoided. They stated that an open weight model helps to enhance competition and ensures that the benefits brought by AI technology can be “shared widely, rather than being concentrated in the hands of a few.”
"Just relying on closed-source models themselves does not mean security: they can be breached, abused, or malfunction in ways that are undetectable by external parties." The open letter states, "Focusing advanced AI capabilities behind a few closed-source models only further amplifies this risk."
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella both shared this open letter on their personal social media accounts.
Elon Musk also shared this open letter on social media. Musk currently operates an AI business under his rocket company SpaceX. He posted on the X platform, stating that he fully supports this open letter. However, SpaceX has not officially signed this open letter.
According to reports, neither OpenAI nor Anthropic signed this letter. Both companies are currently valued at nearly $1 trillion and are preparing for a potential initial public offering (IPO) that could take place as soon as this year.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman said on Thursday that the company supports the widespread use of AI technology, and he has not been involved in any discussions regarding whether the Trump administration would ban Chinese open-weight models from entering the U.S. market.
Brockman told reporters at a media briefing in New York: "I believe that, fundamentally, AI and its applications should be made accessible to everyone. This is very important... Therefore, for me, having more models and more application scenarios is a good thing."
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also responded to this open letter on the X platform on Friday. He stated that he hopes the United States can lead in both open-weight models and proprietary models, and said, "I'm glad to see this initiative."
In their open letter, these American technology companies stated that concerns regarding illegal distillation should be addressed through “targeted legal and commercial frameworks,” rather than implementing “one-size-fits-all restrictions” on technologies that play a crucial role in AI innovation.
The letter concluded by stating, “America’s leadership in the field of AI will not be determined by a single cutting-edge AI model, but rather by whether America can establish a strong, open AI ecosystem that can penetrate various industries.” “This is crucial for creating opportunities for innovation and prosperity across the country.”
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that China has always opposed politicizing and instrumentalizing science, technology, and economic issues. Such actions only hinder the development of artificial intelligence globally and do not serve the interests of any party.
