Cheaper, open and intelligent: Chinese AI models gain ground, as they make inroads in the US

Chinese artificial intelligence models are gaining traction in the United States and globally, with startups like Moonshot, Z.ai, and DeepSeek offering cheaper and increasingly powerful alternatives to U.S.-developed systems. Mozilla's chief technology officer and executives at companies including Coinbase have switched to Chinese AI models for routine tasks, citing lower costs and comparable performance. The Trump administration accused Moonshot of using covert methods to develop its K3 model, while some U.S. politicians and tech companies have alleged Chinese startups engage in illicit model "distillation," claims Beijing rejects.