In the buzzy world of AI, boring things like definitions often get overlooked. The term artificial intelligence itself is so broadly applied that it can refer to everything from linear regression models to killer robots.
But when it comes to regulating emerging technologies, clear and precise definitions are important. Without them, you end up with the kind of goofy-if-it-wasn’t-so-serious debates that state lawmakers around the country are having, like whether the language they wrote to ban deceptive deepfakes will also apply to spell check.
So while it might not be the sexiest project, it’s notable that, following years of research and global debate, the Open Source Initiative has finally agreed on a definition for “open source AI” that the nonprofit organization hopes can guide international regulation.
In order to be labeled open source under the new definition, an AI system—including its component code, weights, and training data—must be made freely available in such a way that anyone can, without permission, use it for any purpose, study how it works, modify it, and share it with others.
That’s a pretty big departure from the way some tech companies have used the label amid the generative AI arms race.
Most notably, Meta advertises its Llama family of models as open-source because they’re free to use (as long as developers adhere to the company’s license terms) and some of the code is publicly available. Last year, Metal also helped create a lobbying coalition called the AI Alliance to advocate for policies that benefit its particular brand of open-source technologies.
Llama models don’t qualify as open source because their licenses still place limits on how they can be used for some commercial purposes, like improving other large language models. They also outright prohibit uses that might violate various laws or cause harm. Meta has also not fully disclosed the training data for its Llama models.
The Open Source Initiative’s new definition was the product of years of discussions between stakeholders from more than 35 countries, the organization said.
“Arriving at today’s [open source AI definition] version 1.0 was a difficult journey, filled with new challenges for the OSI community,” Open Source Initiative Executive Director Stefano Maffulli said in a statement. “Despite this delicate process, filled with differing opinions and uncharted technical frontiers—and the occasional heated exchange—the results are aligned with the expectations set out at the start of this two-year process. This is a starting point for a continued effort to engage with the communities to improve the definition over time as we develop with the broader Open Source community the knowledge to read and apply OSAID v.1.0.”
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