---
format: "aidr-story-markdown/v1"
id: "fe7bf6ca0d057a66691af51168620347f3805550a9fe078ea44c8318023d39ae"
canonical_url: "https://aidr.today/fe7bf6ca?lang=en"
title: "Underdog Accused of Stealing Model Weights and AI Engine from Startups"
lang: "en"
requested_lang: "en"
available_langs: ["en","vi"]
translation_fallback: null
fallback_fields: []
published_at: "2026-10-06T05:25:18.000Z"
category: "Industry"
topics: ["llm"]
source_urls: ["https://marketbrief.now/ai/underdog-accused-of-stealing-model-weights-and-ai-engine-from-startups-5ce1ed7b","https://x.com/Clashluke/status/2106766462002344175","https://x.com/vikhyatk/status/2107336411611537454","https://x.com/0xSigil/status/2106067365733790032","https://x.com/MTSlive/status/2107249195166089258","https://huggingnews.com/ai/underdog-accused-of-stealing-model-weights-and-ai-engine-from-startups-5ce1ed7b"]
summary: "Underdog has been accused by industry critics of using a modified version of PrismML's Bonsai 2 model and Inco AI's Splash inference engine without proper attribution. The allegations, supported by engineer Vikhyat K, emerged following the launch of Underdog's on-device AI assistant. Underdog was founded by Sigil Wen with backing from a16z, Khosla Ventures, Hummingbird, and the Anthology fund."
---

# Underdog Accused of Stealing Model Weights and AI Engine from Startups

> [Open the canonical story](<https://aidr.today/fe7bf6ca?lang=en>)

**Published:** 2026-10-06T05:25:18.000Z
**Category:** Industry
**Topics:** llm

## Summary

Underdog has been accused by industry critics of using a modified version of PrismML's Bonsai 2 model and Inco AI's Splash inference engine without proper attribution\. The allegations, supported by engineer Vikhyat K, emerged following the launch of Underdog's on\-device AI assistant\. Underdog was founded by Sigil Wen with backing from a16z, Khosla Ventures, Hummingbird, and the Anthology fund\.

## Sources

- [Story source](<https://marketbrief.now/ai/underdog-accused-of-stealing-model-weights-and-ai-engine-from-startups-5ce1ed7b>)
- [Story source](<https://x.com/Clashluke/status/2106766462002344175>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/vikhyatk/status/2107336411611537454>)
- [Story source](<https://x.com/0xSigil/status/2106067365733790032>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/MTSlive/status/2107249195166089258>)
- [Story source](<https://huggingnews.com/ai/underdog-accused-of-stealing-model-weights-and-ai-engine-from-startups-5ce1ed7b>)