Open weights and open source are not the same, but open weights are the future. Also: AI Model Release TrackerYou might think it would be simple -- good guys versus bad guys -- but it's not. The difference between open weights and open sourceHowever, open weights are not open source. The difference between open-source AI and weights, according to the Open Source Initiative (OSI), is that open weights usually means the trained weights are available, but not necessarily the full training data or source code. The strategic conflictFor Washington, the message is clear: Open weights are being recast as part of American industrial policy.