As major Silicon Valley tech companies vehemently oppose sharing U.S. AI technology, IBM takes a different path; CEO Arvind Krishna says, "Open is key to innovation”

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna took to LinkedIn to weigh in on the rapidly growing debate about AI technology and its accessibility.

What did he say?

Krishna said that the AI race doesn’t have to be to build bigger and more expensive models, reported Fortune. His comments came after Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's new R1 model claimed to be a more cost-effective and efficient alternative to US-based AI models like OpenAI’s O1, as per reports.

“The cost of training and inference is just another technology challenge to be solved,” he wrote in his LinkedIn post.


According to Krishna, “Open is key to innovation.” He emphasised that IBM’s commitment to open-source AI isn’t new, reported Fortune. The company had been at the forefront of pushing for open development through initiatives like the AI Alliance, co-founded with Meta and other tech leaders. IBM’s latest open-source model, the Granite family of models aimed at business applications, reflects the company's belief that sharing AI technology accelerates progress, as per the report.

IBM's quarterly results

Krishna wrote the LinkedIn post after IBM’s stock soared more than 12% following its quarterly earnings report, which showed a strong performance in software and generative AI. IBM continued to see demand for its AI products, with generative AI bookings reaching $5 billion, reported Fortune.

FAQs

What is Arvind Krishna's stance on the AI race?
According to Arvind Krishna, the AI race doesn’t have to be about creating bigger, more expensive models. He argued that AI’s growth should focus on solving technology challenges, like reducing the cost of training.

Why is IBM focusing on open-source AI?
According to Krishna, open-source AI is the key to drive innovation. IBM has supported open development through initiatives like the AI Alliance and the Granite family.