China’s Open-Source Offensive Redraws the Global AI Map

The emergence of powerful Chinese open-source models, exemplified by DeepSeek’s R1, marks a strategic inflection point for the global AI industry. No longer just catching up, these firms are now setting performance benchmarks and challenging the Western-led narrative. This shift signals a new era of multipolar AI development, moving the center of gravity for open-source innovation beyond Silicon Valley and its European counterparts and creating a formidable new competitive axis.