At the UN Open Source Week, AI pioneer Yann LeCun warned that proprietary models lock up digital infrastructure behind Western and Chinese firms. He argued that the cost and centralization of closed‑source large language models make them unusable for most nations and companies. LeCun framed AI as a foundational platform that will mediate virtually all digital interaction global, demanding an open alternative.

LeCun promoted a federated model where each country contributes parameter updates without exposing raw data. The initiative, called Project Tapestry, lives on a public GitHub repo and invites academia, industry, and governments to join. Early participants include Europe, the UAE, India, Japan and chip makers such as IBM, NVIDIA and Intel, showing significant cross‑regional appetite for a shared AI stack.

LeCun dismissed alarmist risk narratives, comparing AI restrictions to 15th‑century printing bans. He contended that open‑source development yields cheaper, more secure, and locally adaptable systems, while closed models threaten cultural diversity and democratic control. By 2027 he expects open-source AI to be production‑ready, positioning it as the truly only realistic path for Global South nations to achieve digital sovereignty.