L040 · Under the hood · 2 min
Open vs closed models
Some AI models can be downloaded and run by anyone, while others are only available through the company's app or service.
01 · The idea
A closed model is kept by the company that made it. You use it through their website, app or API. You cannot see or download its weights, the learned numbers that make it work.
An open model, often called open-weight, has its weights published. Anyone can download it, run it on their own computer or server, and adjust it. Licences differ, so some allow any use and some add limits.
Closed models are often the most capable and the easiest to use. Open models give more control: your data can stay on your own machine, you can fine-tune them, and you are not tied to one company.
Many teams use both: a top closed model for hard tasks and an open local model for private or high-volume work.
02 · Think of it like this
A closed model is like a restaurant: great food, but you eat there on their terms. An open model is like a published recipe: you can cook it at home and change it.
03 · Do it now
04 · Quick check
Words in this lesson
See also
L045Under the hood · 2 min
Quantization: shrinking a model to fit
Quantization stores a model's numbers with less precision, so it takes up much less memory and can run on smaller computers, with a small drop in quality.
L046Under the hood · 3 min
Running AI offline on your own device
You can run some AI models directly on your laptop or phone with no internet, which keeps your text private but usually means a smaller, less capable model.
L168Under the hood · 2 min
Where AI apps live: cloud or your device
Some AI runs in big data centres far away and some runs on your own phone or laptop, and that choice affects speed, privacy, cost and quality.
L018AI at work · 2 min
Choosing a model
There is no single best AI; pick the tool by the job, your budget and what your workplace allows.