China’s homegrown open-source large models have matured beyond simple chatbots to become potent engines of economic growth, primed to redefine industrial operations through more accessible technology and expansive applications, according to the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID), a leading digital technology research center based in Beijing.
Open-source large models allow developers to share the source code and training datasets of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the digital equivalent of a master chef publishing a signature recipe and all the techniques needed to cook it. This transparency enables large corporations, small businesses and individual developers alike to leverage the same underlying technology to build custom applications without starting from scratch.
"In the past, advanced models were mainly controlled by a handful of closed-source platforms. Companies were essentially 'buying the capability.' But with the maturity of open-source models, they can now build around their own data, business processes, and industry knowledge, creating AI applications that are far more tailored to real-world needs," said Zhong Xinlong, an associate researcher at the CCID.
This open approach is breaking down barriers between AI technology and practical use. Chinese AI models are moving beyond answering questions to executing tasks and improving efficiency. They are now being integrated into key sectors, including manufacturing, energy, transportation and finance.
According to a government plan published in January, China aims to deploy three to five general-purpose large AI models across manufacturing, create 100 high-quality industrial datasets, and promote 500 typical application scenarios, as part of its efforts to build a world-leading open-source ecosystem.
"Open-source large models are pushing global competition in AI away from dominance by a few tech giants and toward a much broader playing field. AI sovereignty is becoming a major policy direction for many countries. Open-source development is expanding the range of participants, bringing more languages, regions and industries into the ecosystem," Zhong said.
China's domestic open-source large models have been downloaded more than 10 billion times worldwide. China now holds the largest number of AI patents globally, accounting for 60 percent of all applications. The country is home to more than 6,200 AI firms, and the core AI industry generated more than 1.2 trillion yuan (approximately 175 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, according to official and industrial reports.
Chinese homegrown open-source AI models evolve to empower more industries
