When AI Models Become Commodities — What Open-Weight AI Could Mean For LegalTech

Guest columnist Ken Crutchfield urges legaltech firms to include open-weight models in 2027 budget planning, citing DeepSeek's low-cost model — which OpenAI alleges was built via distillation — as a wake-up call. OpenAI's open-weight versions run on personal computers and its API allows distillation, but fully embracing open weights would be financially disruptive, he argues.