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What if the next shift in AI power is already visible in which open-source models developers choose as their foundation?

Open-source AI has become one of the most important battlegrounds in tech. New analysis of Hugging Face data shows Chinese open-source models have rapidly narrowed the performance gap with leading closed-source systems, while a small group of model families is capturing much of developer activity.

That matters because open-source dominance is not just about benchmark scores. As developers fine-tune existing models for real applications, usage patterns can create inertia—making it harder for new challengers to break through.

Deep Research, The Information Pro’s AI-powered research tool, analyzed more than 870,000 open-source model instances to show which labs are gaining influence, where closed-source advantages are narrowing and why developer adoption may be one of the most important signals in the next phase of the AI race.

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