Xi Urges Open-Source AI Sharing With Developing Nations as China Pushes to Shape Global Rules
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Xi Urges Open-Source AI Sharing With Developing Nations as China Pushes to Shape Global Rules
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Summary
At Shanghai’s AI conference, Xi Jinping cast open-source AI as a “rare and historical opportunity” and said the technology should be shared with developing nations.
Xi argued AI must be a “symphony of global collaboration,” warning that unequal access could create “new historical injustices” as China presses its case for a more open model.
The pitch underscores Beijing’s effort to challenge U.S. influence in AI leadership, even without naming Washington directly.
Chinese firms including DeepSeek, Moonshot and Zhipu are helping that push, with their open-source systems narrowing the gap with ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
Earlier Friday, China also launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization with 29 countries, broadening its bid to shape AI governance across the Global South.
As Chinese AI models dominate on cost, can US firms adopt them without importing Beijing's rules and risks?
With its cheaper AI models, is China winning the race to write the world's AI rulebook?
As US and Chinese AI stacks diverge, are global businesses being forced to choose a technological side?
From 4% to 46%: How Chinese AI Models Overtook US Enterprise Workloads and Redefined Global AI Governance
Overview
From early 2025 to mid-2026, US enterprises rapidly shifted their AI adoption patterns, with Chinese-origin models rising from just 4.5% to consistently over 30% of enterprise token volume, peaking at 46.4% by mid-2026. This surge was driven by the significant cost advantages and competitive performance of Chinese models, leading to billions of tokens routed weekly. The trend marks a major transformation in the US enterprise AI landscape, as companies increasingly prioritize efficiency and affordability, reshaping global AI competition and raising new strategic and security considerations.