Meta and a host of other AI leaders are loudly championing open‑access research, but insiders reveal that the most lucrative agreements—often involving proprietary data, specialized hardware, and exclusive cloud services—are negotiated behind closed doors. While public statements focus on democratizing AI tools, corporate executives and analysts point out that the bulk of funding, talent acquisition, and strategic partnerships are finalized in private meetings and confidential contracts. This contrast raises questions about the true openness of the industry and how much of the promised collaborative progress is actually delivered to the broader research community.
Meta and other AI giants tout open access, but their biggest deals happen out of public view
