American AI startups shift app traffic to Chinese LLMs
American AI startups shift app traffic to Chinese LLMs The primary development is a noticeable increase in American AI startups directing application traffic to Chinese large language models. According to recent usage patterns on OpenRouter, U.S. models led in weekly token consumption throughout most of 2025. However, since early 2026, Chinese models have emerged as the main drivers of growth in this sector. This data suggests that the AI model market is seeing reduced reliance on brand loyalty. The focus is shifting to practical utility, with startups choosing models based on capability rather than origin. š° @aipost