AI Glossary
Proprietary Model
A proprietary model is an AI model that is owned and controlled by a company or organization.
Overview
Many of the most widely used AI systems are not openly available.
Instead, they are owned and controlled by the organizations that developed them.
These systems are known as proprietary models.
A proprietary model is an AI model whose code, architecture, training methods, or model weights remain under the control of a company or organization.
Users may interact with the model through applications, APIs, or services, but they typically cannot access the underlying technology directly.
A helpful way to think about proprietary models is commercial software.
People can use the product, but they generally cannot modify or redistribute the underlying source code.
Proprietary models often benefit from significant investments in research, infrastructure, safety testing, and support services.
At the same time, they offer less transparency than Open Source Models.
Both approaches play important roles within the AI ecosystem, and understanding the distinction helps explain many ongoing discussions about AI innovation, competition, and accessibility.
Why It Matters
Proprietary models provide access to advanced AI capabilities while remaining controlled by their creators.
Real-World Example
A company may provide access to an AI model through a subscription service while keeping the underlying model private.