AI TRENDS | Kevin Kelly Says China’s Open-Source Models Have an Edge If Token Costs Matter

At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, futurist Kevin Kelly said China’s AI sector would have an advantage if token costs become a major concern. According to Jin10, Kelly said token consumption costs are becoming increasingly important, and that open-source models could give China an edge if users start paying more attention to expenses. Kelly added that if a company could offer costs at one-tenth of Anthropic's, it could reshape the market. He also said open-source models need enough funding to keep operating because they are not as profitable as closed-source models, noting that building large models requires substantial capital.