Weights

Weights are the numerical values inside a model that get set during training — every single parameter holds an actual number, and that number is a weight. A model's knowledge and capabilities all live in this bundle of numbers, so it's fair to call weights the "model itself."

Because they're saved as files, weights can be released publicly or stolen. Releasing them makes a model open (Llama, DeepSeek); leaking them becomes a security incident. Whether or not weights are released is the dividing line running through the entire AI industry.