Nearly 200 Silicon Valley companies, including Proton and Y Combinator, are urging the Trump administration to avoid blocking U.S.access to Chinese open-weight AI models.These models, developed by companies like Moonshot AI and Alibaba, are critical for the next generation of U.S.startups.

The Little Tech Association, a newly formed group, sent letters to President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, advocating for targeted safeguards instead of broad prohibitions.Startup founders argue that restricting access to these models would stifle innovation and weaken U.S.competitiveness.

They warn that banning downloads of Chinese models would not prevent their proliferation but would harm American startups reliant on such technologies.The debate comes amid China's rapid advancements in AI, exemplified by Moonshot's recent release of a model that outperformed leading U.S.models like Anthropic's Fable 5 and OpenAI's GPT-5.Critics highlight concerns about IP theft and security risks, while proponents stress the need for international cooperation in AI development.The administration faces pressure to balance national security with economic competitiveness in the global AI race.