Xi Jinping · Donald Trump · China · DeepSeek · Alibaba · CNBC Technology
Chinese AI models surge in global popularity, and Washington is worried
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AI was a major focus as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met this week.
Key facts
- On OpenRouter, they accounted for 57%-67% of tokens used in the week of Sept. 14, up from 6%-13% in February
- Chinese AI represents "real economic and security risks for the United States," said Daniel Remler, a senior fellow in the technology and national security program at the Center for a New American
- OpenRouter's data related to companies in the U.S., Europe and what it defines as the "Global South", 82 countries across Central and South America, Africa, and Asia
- AI was a major focus as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met this week
Summary
AI was a major focus as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met this week. The most advanced U.S. models lead most benchmarks, but Chinese companies like DeepSeek, Z.ai and Alibaba have released new models with major performance gains in tasks such as coding. According to usage data shared with CNBC, the global adoption of Chinese models by companies has increased substantially in 2026. Chinese AI models have gone from a relatively small share of usage to a majority on two major developer platforms that provide gateways for companies to access models from different providers. OpenRouter's data related to companies in the U.S., Europe and what it defines as the "Global South", 82 countries across Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.