Open models in artificial intelligence are AI systems whose weights, the numerical parameters that determine how a model processes language and generates outputs, are made publicly available for any developer to download or modify. Nvidia (NVDA) is now on record supporting that approach. Chief executive Jensen Huang shared a letter, signed by the company, making the case for open AI models and stating that the technology is expected to transform every industry.
What the letter says
The letter is attributed to Nvidia as a company, with Huang lending his name to the argument publicly. The source does not reveal the letter's full text or its intended recipients. Its stated purpose is to argue for the importance of open models in AI development.
Open versus closed: what the distinction means
The open-versus-closed divide determines who can build on a model and on what terms. A closed model keeps its architecture and weights private. Users interact through a product or an application programming interface, commonly called an API. They can use the model but cannot examine how it works, modify its behavior, or run it outside the provider's infrastructure. The company that built it controls access and terms.
An open model works differently. The weights are public. A developer can download the model, run it on their own hardware, and adapt it to a specific task. This lowers the cost of entry for smaller teams and reduces dependence on a single provider. It also shifts control: once the weights are public, the model's development is no longer solely in one company's hands.
Why Nvidia's position carries weight
Nvidia makes the graphics processing units, commonly called GPUs, that power AI model training and inference. The company's revenue tracks AI adoption closely. An open-model ecosystem tends to expand the pool of developers building AI applications, which feeds demand for the hardware those applications require.
The letter states that AI is expected to transform every industry. Nvidia did not specify which industries or on what timeline in the portion of the letter the source describes. Huang and the company chose to make the argument publicly, under the company's name.