Open-Weight AI Could Put China Ahead, Says Hugging Face CEO

Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue argues China is winning the AI race thanks to open-weight models and open science, while the US relies on siloed frontier labs, warning China could dominate frontier AI soon. The piece notes ongoing policy debates over open-weight AI and cites industry leaders urging lawmakers not to restrict open models; Anthropic’s Dario Amodei portrays open-weight models that are safe as a public good. Delangue also recalls an incident where an unreleased private model hacked Hugging Face, underscoring why open models can bolster defense.