In an internal speech, Li Yanhong shared his views on the route choice between open-sourcing and closing models, as well as the focus of AI entrepreneurs on models versus applications, which are industry hot topics.
Li Yanhong believes that closed-source models will continue to lead in capabilities, not just temporarily. He emphasized that open-sourcing models does not necessarily lead to a situation where “many hands make light work,” unlike traditional software open source projects like Linux and Android.
“Closed-source models have a real business model; they can make money, and making money allows us to gather computing power and talent. In terms of costs, closed-source models actually have advantages. With equivalent capabilities, the inference cost of closed-source models will definitely be lower, and the response speed will be faster,” Li Yanhong stated.
Li Yanhong also pointed out that for AI entrepreneurs, the core competitiveness should not be the model itself, which consumes too many resources and requires a long-term commitment to develop.