Open Source vs Closed Source AI: Democratizing Access or Protecting Safety?
-
Open source AI means the code is public so anyone can use and modify it, while closed source code is private and restricted. Open source aims to democratize AI but closed source claims to be safer.
-
Open source levels the playing field for smaller companies to compete with tech giants, but most "open source" companies only partly open source their models.
-
Closed source AI can have usage policies to avoid harmful requests, but open source models could have their safeguards removed once copies spread.
-
An "open science" approach is advocated by the AI Alliance including Meta and IBM, while closed source giants like OpenAI and Microsoft take the other side.
-
Investors may prefer closed source for IP protection and profits, but open source allows more creativity. Regulators in Europe support open source startups, while the US sees security risks.