Reflection AI Unveils Beam, an Efficient Open-Weight Model to Challenge Chinese Leaders

Reflection AI, a startup founded by two former Google DeepMind researchers, has unveiled Beam, an open-weight artificial intelligence model designed to rival leading options from both the United States and China. The New York-based company, founded in March 2024 by Misha Laskin and Ioannis Antonoglou, announced the model on October 5, 2026, positioning it as a Western alternative in a landscape increasingly dominated by Chinese open-source systems.