restofworld.org/2026/western-startups-realigning-chinese-ai-models Startups recalibrate Chinese AI for the West
Startups including Hirundo and Lazarus AI are modifying Chinese open-weight models such as DeepSeek and Qwen to reduce censorship and state-aligned bias for Western enterprise and government use. The practice raises questions about whether alignment can be universal, while U.S. agencies remain wary of Chinese models.