Open source AI is the new Linux, only faster

Why it matters: When Liang Wenfeng launched his advanced AI model DeepSeek on Hugging Face, it marked a turning point for artificial intelligence and the global open-source movement. Its debut shifted the focus from a Chinese national achievement to a broader story about how open collaboration can cross borders and reshape innovation. MongoDB Developer Relations head and open-source advocate Matt Asay argues that DeepSeek represents more than just Chinese innovation – it shows how open source reshapes ownership, collaboration, and the pace of technological progress. "It stopped being Chinese the minute it was released on Hugging Face and no one can put the open source genie back in the bottle – not even the U.S. government," Asay wrote in Info World, where he moonlights as a contributing writer. DeepSeek's release sparked a wave of global developer activity, including a high-profile effort from the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence (BAAI), which launched a rival project cal ... Read full article.