Meta, IBM Launch 'Open AI Alliance' Amid Closed vs Open Source Debate

The Meta-IBM AI Alliance Champions Open-Source AI, But Major Players Disagree Over Risks

Meta and IBM recently formed the "AI Alliance" to advocate for an open-source approach to AI development. This puts them at odds with tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI, who favor closed AI systems.

The open vs closed AI debate centers around accessibility. Open-source AI involves making the technology and data widely available to promote innovation. However, some argue this could pose safety and misuse risks.

"Openness is the only way to make AI platforms reflect the entirety of human knowledge and culture," said Meta's Yann LeCun. But OpenAI's Ilya Sutskever counters open AI could enable dangerous capabilities.

As AI like ChatGPT grows more advanced, lawmakers are struggling to balance the potential benefits of openness with risks like disinformation and removed safety guards. The EU is even considering exemptions for "free and open-source AI" in upcoming regulations.

The Open-Source AI Movement Faces Hurdles From Big Tech

IBM has championed open-source software for decades as an early Linux supporter. The tech giant sees closed AI as a competitive threat led by Microsoft and Google.

However, the open AI movement faces skepticism even from its namesake company, OpenAI. OpenAI builds closed models like Dall-E despite advocating openness.

Some researchers also warn of national security dangers from releasing open-source AI. Advocates counter that transparency is the best safeguard against AI risks.

Regulators Still Undecided on the Role of Open-Source AI

In the US, Biden's executive order called for studying risks of "dual-use foundation models with widely available weights." Publicly posted weights could spur innovation but also remove safeguards, it said.

The Center for Humane Technology warns deploying open models without guardrails is irresponsible. But overall, governments seem undecided on open AI's role in emerging regulations.

The open-source AI debate highlights difficult tradeoffs. But IBM and Meta's alliance shows big tech isn't unified on whether AI transparency will bring progress or peril. Regulation is still taking shape in this key area of ethical AI development.

Hot Take: While risks exist, openness should be AI's default to prevent monopolization and ensure equitable access. But guardrails will be critical, like monitoring for misuse and avoiding capabilities too dangerous to openly release. The tech industry should also expand efforts to make AI more interpretable and explainable to the public.