When China’s open-source AI is a trap
International | The Telegram
When China’s open-source AI is a trap
America’s quest for AI dominance is scary. China is not the solution
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Illustration: Chloe Cushman
Jul 14th 2026|5 min read
CHINA’S LEADER, Xi Jinping, is too stern to sing or dance in public—no Donald Trump-style piston-arm disco moves for him. This is a shame, for it would save time if he binned his planned remarks when the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) opens in Shanghai on July 17th, and sang instead. Specifically, he could unleash his rich baritone on the hippy anthem, “I’d like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmoneee.”
Puzzled delegates might frown. But it would be cheering if Mr Xi sang: “I’d like to build a world a home, and furnish it with love.” And as a guide to China’s real-world AI ambitions, it would be about as helpful as an official speech. Communist Party media have offered previews of what the WAIC may hear, including such vapid phrases as “those who walk together go far” and “global AI for good”. In China’s telling, benevolence explains why its large language models (LLMs) are open-source or open-weight (tech-speak for models that users can download, run on their own servers and customise). China calls open-source AI a “shared asset for all humanity”, notably users in less wealthy countries.
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