Experts say relying on foreign-made open models presents a supply-chain risk and an innovation challenge.
Since 2022, the United States has held a clear lead in artificial intelligence thanks to advanced models created by firms such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and xAI.
A growing number of experts warn that the U.S. may be slipping when it comes to producing open-weight AI models that people can download, tweak, and operate locally.
Security and independence advocates argue those models matter for both resilience and future innovation capacity.
Officials and researchers have raised alarms about reliance on overseas model weights for critical applications in government and industry.
Separately, Starlink devices are allegedly being used at scam compounds.