US startups urge the Trump administration not to ban Chinese open-weight AI

About 200 AI companies, including Proton and Y Combinator, urged the U.S. government to reconsider a blanket ban on Chinese open-weight AI models.

They argued that cutting off access could weaken competition and entrench large incumbents more than it improves security.

Instead, they called for targeted safeguards focused on higher-risk uses.

Rules on high-performing Chinese open-weight AI could directly raise costs and reshape the competitive landscape for U.S. startups.