AI firms urge US policymakers to avoid broad open-weight model restrictions

Major AI companies, including Nvidia and Mistral, are lobbying US policymakers against imposing sweeping restrictions on open-weight AI models. The push comes as Washington deliberates on how to respond to advances in Chinese artificial intelligence and concerns over alleged model distillation practices. Industry players argue that broad curbs on open-weight models could be counterproductive to American AI competitiveness. The debate reflects growing tension between national security considerations and the interests of the open AI development community.