What to Know About the Open Versus Closed Software Debate

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the ongoing debate in the tech industry over whether artificial intelligence (AI) technology should be open-source and freely available for modification and copying, or kept closed and proprietary for safekeeping.

🙋 Q&A

[01] What is open-source software?

• Open-source software refers to computer code that can be freely distributed, copied, or altered by developers for their own use.
• The key characteristics of open-source software are that the source code is freely available and can be modified by anyone.

[02] What are some examples of open-source software?

• Some well-known examples of open-source software include:
  • Linux, the operating system that Google's Android mobile system is built on
  • Firefox, the free web browser created by the Mozilla Foundation

[03] What is the debate around open-source vs. closed AI systems?

• Tech companies like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic have developed "closed" or proprietary AI systems, where the underlying source code is not accessible to the public.
• This is in contrast to the past, where most AI research was open-sourced to allow other technologists to study and improve upon the work.
• The shift towards closed AI systems is driven by the belief that these powerful AI models could cause catastrophic societal damage if misused, and companies want to keep them closely guarded.
• Critics argue that companies are simply trying to keep the technology from competitors and hobbyists.
• Meta has taken a different approach by open-sourcing its large language model, LLaMA, allowing any developers to download and use it.

[04] What are the arguments for and against open-source AI?

• Proponents of open-source argue that world-changing software tools should be freely distributed so anyone can use them to build new technology.
• Supporters of closed AI systems argue that the enormous time and money required to develop these advanced models justifies keeping them proprietary and paid for.
• There are also concerns about the potential misuse of powerful AI systems if they are freely available.

[05] How are governments and regulators responding to the open-source AI debate?

• Lawmakers in the EU and the US have started holding meetings and taking steps towards frameworks for regulating AI, including the risks and rewards of open-source AI models.