At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Sunday that China will initiate the creation of an open-source artificial intelligence community within the BRICS framework. The proposal envisions member states jointly developing and deploying large language models and organizing AI workshops and training for participating countries.
Xi also invited BRICS members a day earlier to join the World AI Cooperation Organization, which Beijing says counts nearly thirty members.
Strategic aim: a lower-cost alternative to U.S. technologies
Beijing’s proposal is driven by a clear strategic intent: to build an open-source AI ecosystem that offers a cheaper alternative to closed, commercially developed models associated with U.S. companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The move is part of broader competition for global technological influence between China and the United States.
Uncertain reception within BRICS
It remains unclear how much support Xi’s plan will receive from other BRICS members. The joint declaration issued after the summit did not address China’s specific proposals in detail; instead it made a general call to improve access to AI resources while emphasizing security, inclusivity and reliability.
Beijing is expected to press the initiative again when it takes the BRICS presidency in 2027. According to Chinese state media, the next summit will highlight topics including artificial intelligence, the digital economy and green development.
Open source defended, but Beijing signals limits
Chen Ji-xin, Minister of State Security, defended the open-source approach in an article published on Saturday, arguing that some countries are fragmenting global AI supply chains with blacklists, closed ecosystems and technology restrictions, which exacerbates unequal industry development.
At the same time, China does not advocate unlimited openness. In July, Xi emphasized the need to balance development and security at China’s AI summit, and official social-media channels have suggested Beijing may restrict access to the most sensitive functions of advanced AI models.
Why this matters
A BRICS-based, open-source AI ecosystem could reduce dependence on advanced Western technologies and provide cost-effective alternatives for developing and emerging markets — with significant implications for global AI competition. The success of the initiative, however, will depend heavily on the level of BRICS support and on how Chinese regulatory and security constraints affect collaborative development.
The debate goes beyond technology: decisions around this initiative will shape supply chains, geopolitical influence and global regulatory norms in the years ahead.
An AI assistant contributed to preparing this article; the final content was edited and verified by our journalist.
