Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta Lead 25+ Tech Firms Urging Trump to Protect Open-Weight AI

A coalition of 25+ tech giants formally asked the Trump administration to reject sweeping restrictions on open-weight AI models.

More than 25 technology companies — including Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta, and Palantir — sent a formal letter to the Trump administration on Friday urging it to resist calls for broad restrictions on open-weight artificial intelligence models, framing open development as essential to maintaining U.S. leadership in the global AI race. Open-weight AI models are systems whose underlying parameters are publicly released, allowing developers outside the original company to inspect, modify, and build on them. The coalition's letter, posted as a PDF on Nvidia's servers and promoted by CEO Jensen Huang on X, argues that limiting such models would cede ground to foreign competitors at a critical moment in AI development. The push comes as Washington has been weighing tighter controls on open-weight AI, driven partly by concerns about intellectual-property theft and the risk that publicly released model weights could be exploited by adversaries. The debate intensified after the emergence of capable open models from Chinese developers, including one referred to in reporting as Kimi, demonstrated that non-U.S. players are closing the gap. Silicon Valley is not unified on the question. According to Wired reporting cited in the sources, the industry is "completely divided" over Chinese AI and what, if anything, the U.S. government should do to restrict the spread of open model weights. The coalition letter represents the pro-openness faction making its case directly to the administration.

Why it matters

The outcome of this debate will shape whether powerful AI tools remain freely accessible to researchers, startups, and foreign actors alike, or become subject to export-style controls that could slow development outside large proprietary labs. The administration's AI policy framework is still being formed, making this lobbying push potentially influential.

What's next

The Trump administration has not yet announced a formal policy position on open-weight AI restrictions, so the letter is intended to shape that forthcoming framework.

Key facts

• More than 25 companies signed the letter, including Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta, and Palantir
• The letter was formally submitted to the Trump administration on a Friday
• Nvidia posted the letter as a PDF and Jensen Huang promoted it personally on X
• The debate was partly triggered by capable open-weight AI models from Chinese developers, including one called Kimi
• Washington is actively considering tighter controls on open-weight AI over IP theft and national security concerns
• Silicon Valley is reported to be split on the question of how to respond to Chinese AI advances

Bias & framing notes

Most sources frame the story from the coalition's perspective, emphasizing the companies' arguments for openness and the competitive threat from China. The concerns of those who favor restrictions — IP theft, national security risks — receive less development across the coverage, with no named proponent of regulation quoted directly. MarketWatch's headline personalizes the story around Jensen Huang, while TechStartups and Fortune focus more on the collective industry action.

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