Recently, a joint study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Hugging Face revealed that China has overtaken the United States in the global open-source AI model download market. Over the past year, Chinese-developed models accounted for 17.1% of downloads, topping the U.S. share of 15.8%.
Key highlights:
- China's share of downloads: 17.1%
- U.S. share: 15.8%
- Top Chinese models: Qwen, DeepSeek, Kimi
Open-source AI models let developers freely download, modify, and integrate technology, accelerating startups and driving research forward. At the 2025 OpenAtom Developers Conference in Beijing on November 21, Ni Guangnan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said, "Open source has become a powerful engine for global IT development, and in the era of AI driven by large models, its momentum is remarkable."
China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) emphasizes deeper opening up and cooperation, aligning the country's push for open source with global trends. Chinese-led open-source communities are expanding overseas: a U.S. report cited by Ni found that 80% of American AI startups use Chinese open-source models.
By embracing inclusiveness and global access, China's open-source AI ecosystem pools international developer talent, fuels technological exchange, and injects fresh momentum into innovation. As open-source AI continues to shape the future of technology, this shift reflects China's growing influence on global standards and collaboration.
Reference(s):
China overtakes U.S. in global open-source AI model market: study
cgtn.com
