A mysterious free AI model is impressing developers. And nobody knows who made it. (www.businessinsider.com)

A new AI model called Ox Alpha has emerged on OpenRouter, captivating developers with its impressive capabilities. Dubbed a "stealth model" from an anonymous third-party provider, Ox Alpha is described as a reasoning model tailored for coding and complex workflows, capable of handling long-horizon software engineering tasks. Notably, OpenCode has made the model available for free for a limited time, with almost limitless usage potential, powered by a capacity for 100 trillion tokens per day—significantly higher than typical usage rates in the industry. The model's origins remain a mystery, but speculation suggests it could be developed by a Chinese AI lab, potentially linked to previous models like GLM-5. The rising prowess of Chinese AI technologies has become a concern for their U.S. counterparts, with open-source models from these labs starting to rival leading systems. Industry voices, including Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, have praised Ox Alpha for its performance. However, the exact source of the model is still uncertain, with ongoing debates hinting at ties to other major players like Microsoft's MAI family, leaving the AI community both intrigued and vigilant about its implications.