open-weight model

A machine learning model whose weights (learned parameters) are publicly accessible, enabling local deployment, auditing, and customization without proprietary restrictions. Differs from closed-weight models (e.g., most commercial LLMs) where weights are withheld.

Key characteristics:

  • Weights available for download (e.g., via public repositories)
  • May not include full training code/data (only weights)
  • Enables offline use, customization, and transparency
  • Often distributed under permissive licenses

Recent example:

  • OpenAI’s [[concepts/gpt-oss-20b|gpt-oss-20b]] and [[concepts/gpt-4|gpt-oss]]-120b variants (as detailed in Jeredblu running LLM locally)
  • Allows local inference without API dependencies

Related concepts:

Backlink: 2026 04 14 Jeredblu running LLM locally

Source Notes