Artificial Intelligence

Is this a seismic shift for the Open Source Definition?

OSI dives deep into the topics shaping the future of open source business, ethics and practice with a new kind of event. We’ll help OSI stakeholders frame a conversation to discover what’s acceptable for AI systems to be “Open Source.”

The event consists of three parts, spread over multiple weeks during which we’ll release interviews with experts to stimulate online conversations, concluded by live panels leading to a published report.

Why focus on AI now

AI algorithms are growing more complex and pervasive every day.  The traditional view of Open Source code implementing AI algorithms may not be sufficient to guarantee inspectability and replicability of the AI systems. Algorithms are deciding who stays in jail or which customers deserve credit to buy a house. More kinds of “autonomous” systems are appearing so fast that government regulators are rushing to define policies. If policies are not put in place and the influence of these algorithms continues unmonitored, we’ll likely to see more unintended and detrimental consequences.

Why it’s important to open source

The Open Source movement has shaped conversations during the emergence of the internet, driving decisions around cryptography and security, content rights management and patents on software. It’s time to sharpen the collective knowledge to assess the impact of these emerging technologies.

Target audience

This event will reach OSI’s top stakeholders: the legal community, product and engineering teams at corporations, and organizations and nonprofits representing wider civil society.