FLOSS Weekly 756: We Won, Now What? - Luis Villa, Tidelift
Nov 1, 2023
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Luis Villa from Tidelift discusses how the company helps code maintainers get paid. They also talk about AI, ML, government initiatives, bias in AI, open source communities, the growth of the company, and upcoming conference and Linux show promotion.
Tidelift offers a platform for code maintainers to get paid and receive support, ensuring the sustainability of open source projects.
AI and ML in open source software can perpetuate bias and discrimination, highlighting the need for early legislation and ethical considerations.
Regulating emerging technologies like AI requires knowledgeable stakeholders to strike a balance between user protection and innovation in the digital landscape.
Deep dives
Tie Lift: A Solution for Code Maintainers
Tie Lift is a company that focuses on supporting code maintainers. They offer a platform where maintainers can get paid for their work, particularly for widely used packages with limited maintainers. Tie Lift identifies these packages used by their enterprise customers and connects them with the maintainers, providing financial support and assistance with areas like licensing and security. The goal is to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of open source projects by incentivizing and supporting maintainers who are often underappreciated and overburdened.
The Impact of AI and ML on Open Source
The discussion in the podcast episode highlighted the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) on open-source software. It was noted that these technologies have the potential to embed bias and discrimination, as they learn from the existing data available on the internet, which may not always be diverse or representative. The concern is that racism and sexism can inadvertently be perpetuated by AI and ML systems due to their reliance on biased training data. Furthermore, the conversation touched on the need for early legislation and regulation in this domain, given the central role of open source software in the global economy. The episode emphasized that rather than questioning whether regulation will happen, the focus should be on how it will happen and how the open source community can engage constructively in shaping regulations to address important ethical considerations.
The Challenges of Technology Legislation
The podcast delved into the challenges of technology legislation, highlighting the importance of having lawmakers who understand technology and economics. It was acknowledged that in the past, there may have been a lack of subject expertise within legislative bodies, but the situation is gradually improving. The episode mentioned that the European Union and the US are now actively involving stakeholders from the open source community and technology industry in the legislative process. While there is still concern about the complexities of legislating around emerging technologies like AI, there is a growing recognition of the need for knowledgeable stakeholders to contribute to the development of effective regulations. The ongoing legislative discussions, such as the Cyber Resilience Act, are aimed at addressing key issues like user protection and data privacy, with the goal of striking a balance between regulation and enabling innovation in the digital landscape.
The potential biases in AI models
The podcast episode discusses the presence of biases in AI models, specifically related to age and geography. The speaker highlights that AI models are often trained on more recent and visually available data, such as FM radio towers, leading to biases in their knowledge. The episode emphasizes the importance of addressing these biases and the need for society to be actively involved in discussions on AI bias.
The challenge of regulating AI and open source software
The podcast explores the complexities of regulating AI and the use of open source software in AI training. It raises questions about whether AI should be allowed to be trained on open source software without explicit permission and the potential impact of regulation on individual maintainers in the open source community. The episode discusses the challenges of finding a balance between protecting individual motivations and ensuring ethical AI practices, highlighting the need for comprehensive regulation that considers the societal impact.
Doc Searls and Simon Phipps talk with Luis Villa of Tidelift about how it helps code maintainers get paid, plus what's happening in AI, ML, regulation and more.
