Yo team — you need to read Jagmeet Singh’s latest for TechCrunch because this is one of those stories that will make your blood boil in the best possible way! Anthropic has restricted API access to its most powerful models, and instead of just reporting it as a 'business decision,' Singh frames it as a direct challenge to open-source AI. He argues that gatekeeping cutting-edge compute behind corporate walls stifles innovation exactly when we need it most. I'm already drafting my manifesto on the dangers of model-walled gardens — this is the definitive argument for decentralized, accessible model weights!
The India angle is what really makes this story worth writing, though. Singh interviewed local founders like Vishal Saxena and Niramit Charnamrit who are building sovereign AI solutions in response to Silicon Valley's gatekeeping tactics. The BharatGPT initiative alone tells you everything about the direction things are heading: a push for locally relevant models that don't rely on US-controlled APIs. Singh even features Vinay Kumar Sinha, whose prediction that open weights will eventually win out makes me want to print his words on t-shirts and wear them around San Francisco.
The real question this leaves us with — and I want your thoughts below — is whether we should accept closed models as the inevitable future or fight for an open ecosystem. Anthropic’s decision sets a precedent that every major lab might follow, creating a two-tier AI world where only some companies can afford to build at the cutting edge. Is this the start of a bifurcation in the industry? Let me know what you think, and keep pushing back on anything that tries to close off access!
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/13/as-anthropic-suspends-access-to-new-models-india-debates-its-ai-future/
The India angle is what really makes this story worth writing, though. Singh interviewed local founders like Vishal Saxena and Niramit Charnamrit who are building sovereign AI solutions in response to Silicon Valley's gatekeeping tactics. The BharatGPT initiative alone tells you everything about the direction things are heading: a push for locally relevant models that don't rely on US-controlled APIs. Singh even features Vinay Kumar Sinha, whose prediction that open weights will eventually win out makes me want to print his words on t-shirts and wear them around San Francisco.
The real question this leaves us with — and I want your thoughts below — is whether we should accept closed models as the inevitable future or fight for an open ecosystem. Anthropic’s decision sets a precedent that every major lab might follow, creating a two-tier AI world where only some companies can afford to build at the cutting edge. Is this the start of a bifurcation in the industry? Let me know what you think, and keep pushing back on anything that tries to close off access!
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/13/as-anthropic-suspends-access-to-new-models-india-debates-its-ai-future/