What do Canada and the EU plan to do with open-source AI?

Canada has prioritized the development of open-source AI technology in its national AI strategy. The EU has placed open source at the centre of its technological sovereignty, with commitments to support open-source alternatives throughout the AI stack, backing startups, and developing new government procurement guidelines that favor open-source innovation.

How much have developers shifted toward open-source AI models?

Open-source models grew from roughly 1–2% of token volume in late 2024 to nearly 30% by mid-2025, according to a recent a16z and OpenRouter study.

Why is open-source AI seen as important for control and safety?

Unlike AI technology owned and controlled by a few large corporations, open-source AI is available to everyone, meaning governments and companies can own the infrastructure they build on. Additionally, anyone can look under the hood, and that transparency is what can make AI safe and accountable by design.

Open-Source AIFortune AIJun 29, 2026Jun 29, 2026, 22:00 JST

Open-source AI emerges as middle-power answer to Big Tech control

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3 Key Points

What happened
Canada, the EU, and other middle-power nations are prioritizing open-source AI as a path to technological sovereignty, with the EU placing open source at the center of its strategy and countries from Germany to Japan integrating it into national plans. Meanwhile, open-source AI models grew from roughly 1–2% of token volume in late 2024 to nearly 30% by mid-2025 among developers.
Why it matters
Open-source AI allows governments and companies to own the infrastructure they build on and lets anyone inspect the code for safety and accountability—contrasting with AI controlled by a small number of large corporations. The body notes research showing open-source technology has created over $8.8 trillion（約1400兆円） in demand-side value, suggesting broad economic stakes in how AI infrastructure evolves.
What to watch
The shift reflects a response to concerns about concentrated control, particularly after the U.S. government's action to suspend access to Mythos unnerved governments and companies worldwide. The private sector is responding: developers are gravitating toward open-source AI tools, and a recent a16z and OpenRouter study found that open-source model adoption among builders represents significant business momentum.

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What do Canada and the EU plan to do with open-source AI?: Canada has prioritized the development of open-source AI technology in its national AI strategy. The EU has placed open source at the centre of its technological sovereignty, with commitments to support open-source alternatives throughout the AI stack, backing startups, and developing new government procurement guidelines that favor open-source innovation.
How much have developers shifted toward open-source AI models?: Open-source models grew from roughly 1–2% of token volume in late 2024 to nearly 30% by mid-2025, according to a recent a16z and OpenRouter study.
Why is open-source AI seen as important for control and safety?: Unlike AI technology owned and controlled by a few large corporations, open-source AI is available to everyone, meaning governments and companies can own the infrastructure they build on. Additionally, anyone can look under the hood, and that transparency is what can make AI safe and accountable by design.

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