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Asia-Pacific ministers back open-source AI models at APEC forum
The statement supports three regional paths for deploying AI, including open models that can run on local servers and may cut operating costs by 60% to 90% versus leading US systems.
Ministers across the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, speaking at a digital technology and AI forum in Chengdu, backed open-source artificial intelligence models, a rare point of alignment in a debate often framed as a US-China contest, according to SCMP Economy.
The outlet said countries in the region are moving into a new AI order along three “roads,” including national flagship models built on a Chinese base, government pilots that use Chinese systems in public services, and private start-ups that deploy what is most open.
SCMP Economy also cited the economics of scaling frontier AI, saying training a frontier model costs billions of dollars and requires rare talent, which leaves only China and the United States training at that level.
For other countries, the report said adopting an open Chinese model can lower barriers because model weights are free, systems can run on local servers without sending data abroad, and operating costs are estimated at 60% to 90% less than leading American systems, while performance lags by only months.