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Moonshot AI Releases 2.8-Trillion-Parameter Kimi K3, Stoking US-China AI Rivalry

July 20, 2026 at 07:28 EDT

Foundation Models
Open Source
Policy & Regulation

Beijing-based Moonshot AI has released Kimi K3, a 2.8-trillion-parameter open-weight model it bills as the world's first open 3T-class system, intensifying anxiety in the United States about how quickly Chinese labs are closing the gap in frontier artificial intelligence. Unveiled at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in July 2026, the model is available immediately through Moonshot's API and consumer products, with full weights slated for release by July 27.

July 2026 · Moonshot AI · Shanghai

Kimi K3: The World's First Open 3T-Class Model

Beijing-based Moonshot AI unveils a 2.8-trillion-parameter open-weight system that rivals top US models on public leaderboards — reviving fears in Washington about how fast Chinese labs are closing the frontier AI gap.

2.8T

total parameters — largest open model ever

1.8%

of network active per token (16 of 896 experts)

token native context window, with vision

2.5×

better scaling efficiency vs the K2 generation

Public leaderboard scores

K3 sits in the same tier as leading US systems

1,679

Frontend Code Arena
1st

1,687

GDPval-AA v2
3rd

1,527

AA-Briefcase
2nd

Topped Frontend Code Arena over Claude Fable 5 · beat GPT-5.6 Sol Max on AA-Briefcase · strongest in coding & agentic tasks.

API pricing — per million tokens

Output tokens cost 50× a cache hit

$0.30

cache-hit input

cache-miss input

$15

output

K3 costs more than K2 — a consideration alongside its recommended 64-accelerator deployment.

Enthusiasm

Among the most capable open models yet
"Vision in the loop" for frontend, game & UI work
Open-weight strategy vs closed US rivals

Caution

Weights not yet public — benchmarks self-reported
Leaderboards can diverge from real-world use
Higher pricing than K2

Another "DeepSeek moment" — and a fresh test for US export controls.

Full weights ship by July 27. Only then can outside researchers verify the claims and judge whether K3 truly narrows the US–China AI gap.

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