Axios: The secret Trump administration battle to fight Chinese AI

https://www.axios.com/2026/07/20/ai-us-china-open-source-kimi The Trump administration is showing signs it could ban cutting-edge Chinese AI models — a momentous move that could lock in dominance by OpenAI and Anthropic. Why it matters: Parts of the administration have tried to implement de facto bans on foreign open-source models before, knowledgeable sources tell Axios. Last week's rise of Chinese model Kimi is reigniting those efforts. Pro-competition voices fear the implications. U.S. companies are increasingly using open-source models from China because they're cheaper and, as seen by the advent of Kimi, just about as good as the domestic technology. Behind the scenes: The Commerce Department last year considered adding multiple Chinese AI labs to its "Entity List," which would effectively cut off U.S. access without a license, a source close to the administration told Axios.