At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, futurist Kevin Kelly emphasized the potential cost advantages of Chinese open-source AI models. Kelly noted that as token consumption costs become a critical factor, open-source models could offer significant benefits. He suggested that if open-source models can provide token costs at a fraction of competitors like Anthropic, it could disrupt the market. However, Kelly cautioned that maintaining these models requires substantial funding, as they are less profitable than closed-source alternatives.