Open-weights models now match proprietary AI on core tasks
Source: Senko Rašić
Chinese models like Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.8 Max are matching closed, API-gated competitors on reasoning and dialogue work. The competitive moat around GPT-4 and Claude is eroding faster than expected. Open weights lower deployment costs, allow custom fine-tuning without vendor lock-in, and shift power from model labs toward the developers and companies that integrate them. The economics of AI adoption are shifting, and model companies that rely on artificial scarcity face eroding defensibility.