Meta just picked a side in a big debate over the future of AI

 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, 2026.

Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Meta is taking a stance on one of the biggest debates shaping the future of artificial intelligence: Should AI models be open for anyone to tinker with and modify, or should they be tightly controlled by the companies making them?

For Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the answer is clearly the former. The tech giant on Monday launched a new “open-weight model” — which has parameters that users can customize to adjust how the AI performs or responds — called Glimmer.

Meta says Glimmer is tailored for powering AI models that can run directly on personal computers instead of relying on computing power from data centers. Zuckerberg also published a lengthy manifesto laying out his vision and approach to AI, attempting to assuage wide-ranging concerns about AI as the company combats criticisms about its data center buildout and AI smart glasses.