{"slug": "china-s-open-weight-kimi-k3-model-snaps-at-the-heels-of-us-labs", "title": "China's open weight Kimi K3 model snaps at the heels of US labs", "summary": "Chinese AI lab Moonshot AI launched Kimi K3, a 2.8 trillion-parameter open weights model that rivals frontier models from US labs like Anthropic and OpenAI. The model features structural innovations such as the Kimi Delta Attention mechanism and Attention Residuals architecture, achieving a 2.5x improvement in scaling efficiency over its predecessor. Benchmark data shows Kimi K3 is just a generation behind leading US models in most tests and matches or exceeds them in coding and agentic applications.", "body_md": "[AI](/tag/ai/)\n\nChinese AI lab Moonshot AI is launching one of the largest open weights models yet with its 2.8 trillion-parameter Kimi K3, putting it on par with frontier counterparts.\n\nThe model was unveiled Thursday alongside benchmark data showing it is just a generation behind Anthropic and OpenAI’s leading models in most tests and on par with or ahead for some coding and agentic applications.\n\nMoonshot said structural changes, including the use of its new Kimi Delta Attention mechanism and [ Attention Residuals](https://github.com/MoonshotAI/Attention-Residuals?ref=thestack.technology) architecture, meant Kimi K3 showed a 2.5x improvement in scaling efficiency over its predecessor, Kimi K2.\n\n## Get the full story: Subscribe for free\n\nJoin peers managing over $100 billion in annual IT spend and subscribe to unlock full access to The Stack’s analysis and events.\n\n[Subscribe now](https://www.thestack.technology/membership/)\n\nAlready a member? [Sign in](https://www.thestack.technology/signin/)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/china-s-open-weight-kimi-k3-model-snaps-at-the-heels-of-us-labs", "canonical_source": "https://www.thestack.technology/kimi-k3-china-models-snapping-us-heels/", "published_at": "2026-07-17 09:42:32+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-17 09:51:48.255771+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "large-language-models", "ai-research", "ai-products", "ai-startups"], "entities": ["Moonshot AI", "Kimi K3", "Anthropic", "OpenAI", "Kimi K2", "Kimi Delta Attention", "Attention Residuals"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/china-s-open-weight-kimi-k3-model-snaps-at-the-heels-of-us-labs", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/china-s-open-weight-kimi-k3-model-snaps-at-the-heels-of-us-labs.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/china-s-open-weight-kimi-k3-model-snaps-at-the-heels-of-us-labs.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/china-s-open-weight-kimi-k3-model-snaps-at-the-heels-of-us-labs.jsonld"}}