Abu Dhabi AI institute releases fully open-source models with training data, code

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AdvertisementAdvertisementBusiness03 Sep 2026 09:02PM (Updated: 03 Sep 2026 09:12PM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST Sept 3 : Abu Dhabi-based research institute IFM on Thursday released six artificial intelligence models together with the data and methods used to build them, challenging an industry trend toward increasingly secretive AI development.The K2 Horizon release includes model weights, training data, code, methodologies and intermediate checkpoints, allowing researchers to retrace the models' development process and reproduce results, IFM founder Eric Xing told Reuters.The move goes beyond the "open-weight" approach used by some Chinese developers, which make models available for download but provide limited insight into how they were built, and contrasts with the more closed development practices of companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, which neither release their models for download nor disclose the data and techniques behind them."Our goal with this release is to establish a reference point for what a truly open model release can look like," Xing said.Show MoreShow LessHe said the release was also intended to show policymakers, regulators and public-interest advocates that "openness and competitive performance are not mutually exclusive."The launch forms part of the UAE's push to establish itself as a global AI hub.The model family ranges from one designed for smartwatches and other constrained devices to a 375-billion-parameter system for enterprise deployments.Source: ReutersNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST