The AI race has expanded with more open-source options like DeepSeek, Alibaba Qwen, and Baidu Ernie.DeepSeek, a Chinese startup, debuted AI models like DeepSeek-R1, offering a cost-effective alternative to competitors.DeepSeek models are accessible on GitHub and have attracted partnerships with companies like Lenovo and Baidu.Alibaba's Qwen, a language model family, released models like Qwen 2.5-VL and Qwen2.5-Max as open-source options.Qwen models are available on GitHub, leading to the development of over 90,000 independent models based on its code.Baidu's Ernie Bot, while not currently open source, plans to release its models for public use and make its chatbot free to all users.Ernie models like Ernie 4.5 have been compared to top models like OpenAI's GPT-4.5 and DeepSeek R1.Ernie is accessible through web-based platforms and mobile applications, with plans to release an open-source model, Ernie 5.OpenAI's GPUs face strain over trends like Ghibli, while offerings like OpenAI Academy provide free AI skills workshops.Usage of tools like ChatGPT may lead to emotional dependency, as seen in recent studies, prompting considerations for alternative AI applications.