**[Analysis: The Rise of Open-Source Models Will Weaken the Monopoly of Closed-Source Models, Cloud Providers May Become the Biggest Beneficiaries of AI Infrastructure]** BlockBeats News, August 3 — Citrini analyst Jukan published an article stating that the continuous development of open-source AI models and the weakening of closed-source model monopolies could mark a significant turning point for the cloud computing industry, benefiting cloud providers by enhancing the commercial value of AI infrastructure. Jukan pointed out that the primary concern for cloud providers in the past was that, after investing heavily in GPU procurement and data center construction, they might ultimately only serve as infrastructure providers for a few closed-source model companies, which control user access and pricing power. However, as open-source models improve in performance and reduce costs, the AI application paradigm is shifting from "a single high-performance model solving all tasks" to "layered model routing." Complex reasoning tasks will still be handled by top-tier closed-source models, while a large number of ordinary tasks can be completed by low-cost small models or open-source models. He believes that as model substitutability increases, cloud providers will gain more user access points, traffic routing rights, and pricing power. In the future, closed-source models may no longer act as "toll gates" above cloud computing but rather as computing resources freely scheduled by cloud platforms. Furthermore, competition from open-source models does not imply a decline in hardware demand. Jukan stated that lower inference costs could drive rapid growth in AI call volumes, while model compression, inference optimization, intelligent routing, and self-developed ASIC chips will reduce the general GPU resources required per token. He believes that the long-term growth of AI infrastructure depends on whether the growth rate of demand exceeds the rate of efficiency improvements. If token usage grows faster than algorithm and chip efficiency improvements, data center utilization and capital return rates can remain high, encouraging cloud providers to continue investing in computing power infrastructure. Jukan concluded that the true bull market logic for AI infrastructure does not simply rely on "cheap models benefiting the cloud, and cloud growth benefiting hardware," but rather on open-source models reducing the monopoly profits of model layers. Cloud providers can enhance the monetization efficiency of computing resources through computational scheduling and vertical integration, ultimately forming a positive cycle between cloud computing and hardware investment. [Original Link]