MIT Technology Review Narrated The tech industry can’t agree on what open-source AI means. That’s a problem.
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Jul 2, 2025 The tech industry is embroiled in a heated debate over what constitutes open-source AI. Conflicting definitions threaten to undermine the principles of transparency and innovation. Corporations and organizations are at odds, expressing concerns that the term could be manipulated for profit. The implications of these disagreements could shape the future of technology, making clarity on this issue crucial.
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Lack Of Definition Risks Dominance
- Open source AI lacks a universally accepted definition, making it a malleable term for big companies.
- Without consensus, open source AI risks reinforcing dominance instead of enabling broader tech innovation.
Complexity Of AI Openness
- AI development involves multiple components beyond just source code, like data and architecture.
- Which elements to share to be "open source" remains highly debated and ambiguous.
Training Data Key To Openness
- Pre-trained AI models often lack publicly available training data, limiting modification and study.
- True open source AI may require openness of training data as much as of the model.