Chinese models are taking the lead on OpenRouter

JOBhakdi · x · 2026-07-20

Open-source AI is winning, and the claim here is that Chinese models are leading the current wave. Citing OpenRouter usage data, the post says the share of tokens from U.S. firms routed through Chinese AI models has reached a record ~58%. That share has tripled since mid-January, briefly hit 63% in the first week of July, and overtook American peers on the platform for the first time in March. The broader context: Chinese models were under 10% of usage at the start of 2025, while U.S. models were around 80%.

Related event: US Companies Increasingly Adopt Chinese AI Models, OpenRouter Data Shows(2 posts)→

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