IBM CEO praises open-weight AI models
The gist
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said open-weight models now deliver 90% of frontier-model effectiveness for 10% to 25% of the token cost.
The claim, made on IBM's earnings call, tests whether enterprises keep paying premium prices for top-tier AI.
How it unfolded
- 2024Broad-based benchmarks showed frontier models scoring near 70 while open alternatives scored 20 or 30, according to Krishna.
- Late 2025The gap narrowed to 70 versus 50, Krishna said.
- Oct 22, 2026On IBM's Q3 earnings call, Krishna said open-weight models now deliver 90% of frontier-model effectiveness for 10% to 25% of the token cost.