The rise of open-source LLMs like Deepseek’s R1 is disrupting the AI landscape, challenging proprietary models from OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. As businesses and investors weigh the benefits of open-source AI—lower costs, greater customisation, and reduced vendor lock-in—governments are grappling with regulatory concerns, data sovereignty, and national security risks. In this blog I look at the strategic implications of this shift, outlining the risks, opportunities, and how companies, investors, and policymakers can navigate the rapidly evolving AI market.

TikTok has gone dark in the US after a law banning it came into effect. But, is TikTok a national security or an example of US corporate lobbying and influence against a foreign and Chinese digital and social media company that has disrupted Meta, Google, X and others?