A coalition of 32 technology companies and industry organizations has issued a joint statement urging U.S. policymakers to embrace open-weight artificial intelligence models, warning that premature restrictions could undermine American leadership in the rapidly advancing field.
The signatories, which include Nvidia, Microsoft, IBM, Meta, OpenAI, Cisco, Dell Technologies, GitHub, Hugging Face, Mozilla, the Linux Foundation, Palantir and Y Combinator, argue that U.S. dominance in AI depends on building an open ecosystem across all sectors, rather than concentrating resources on a single frontier model. In their statement, titled "Open Weights and American AI Leadership," they contend that open-weight models — which anyone can download, inspect, modify and run on their own infrastructure — make advanced AI systems more accessible, adaptable and widely available.
The coalition emphasizes that open-weight models allow organizations to match models to specific tasks and costs, reserving frontier-scale capabilities for the most demanding problems while using efficient, specialized models for other purposes. They also argue that such models strengthen competition among model developers and across cloud computing, chips, applications and services, fostering innovation, reducing costs and preventing the economic benefits of AI from becoming concentrated in a small number of hands.
The statement acknowledges that open-weight models carry "real and distinct risks." Once released, model weights are beyond the original developer's control, and modified versions are difficult to trace. However, the coalition argues that the appropriate response is not to prohibit open weights. As cyberattackers increasingly use advanced AI, defenders also need access to models with comparable capabilities to detect, simulate and respond to emerging threats. Open models could expand defensive capabilities, increase transparency and allow vulnerabilities to be identified and remedied by multiple teams.
The signatories also caution against conflating legitimate model-distillation practices — using one model's outputs to help train, improve or validate another — with unlawful efforts to extract value from closed models. They argue that concerns over unlawful conduct should be addressed through targeted legal and commercial frameworks rather than sweeping restrictions on techniques essential to AI innovation. Relying solely on closed models, they add, is not inherently safe; concentrating advanced AI capabilities in a few closed models could create single points of failure, weaken competition and leave critical technologies in the hands of a few providers.
The statement comes amid a global debate over AI regulation, with governments grappling with how to balance innovation, security and competition. The coalition's push for open-weight models reflects a broader industry concern that restrictive policies could stifle the very ecosystem that has driven U.S. technological leadership. As policymakers weigh their options, the signatories have made clear that they see openness as a strategic asset — not a liability — in the race to define the future of artificial intelligence.
