Most of the AI spotlight shines on the biggest models from the biggest labs — Claude from Anthropic, GPT from OpenAI, and Gemini from Google. These systems set the pace at the top end, with ever larger models and longer context windows.
But a parallel market has been building alongside these heavyweights. Open models — designed to be downloaded, adapted, and run in different environments — are seeing steady uptake among developers who want more control over cost, deployment, and customization.
That activity is perhaps most visible…
