Swiss research entities are taking a bold stand against the pervasive 'black box' nature of large language models. In a groundbreaking move, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, ETH Zurich, and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre have collectively unveiled Apertus—a large-scale, open-source language model. This model stands out for its unparalleled transparency, openly sharing all critical training details. Its primary goal is to catalyze worldwide collaboration and spur innovation in the field. The launch of Apertus not only signifies a major stride in Switzerland's dedication to openness and reproducibility in AI research but also establishes a new global standard.