opensourceorg/osaid

Building up Open Source AI with the Hugging Face Community

As the field of AI advances, it's becoming increasingly important to understand what "Open Source" means in the context of artificial intelligence. While Open Source software has long had established standards, AI models and datasets bring new challenges around transparency, accessibility and collaboration.

To address this, the Open Source Initiative (OSI) has been developing an Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) which will outline the criteria that AI components—such as models, datasets and code—must meet to be considered Open Source.

Co-designing the Open Source AI Definition v1.0

Understanding that AI impacts a global community with diverse perspectives, we embarked on the quest to define Open Source AI by adopting a co-design methodology—a participatory approach that shares knowledge and power among all stakeholders. This method allows us to integrate diverging viewpoints into a cohesive and consensual standard.

The 1.0 version of the definition is set to be unveiled on October 28, 2024, at the All Things Open conference. The definition lays out the main requirements for what we hope will become a robust standard for OSAI across the ecosystem.

Open Source AI in practice at Hugging Face

To support the Open Source AI Definition, we need to see how it will be operationalized in practice by the people building and using Open Source AI systems. What Open Source licenses and legal frameworks are favored for sharing model weights? How is training data re-used and documented? Given the role of the Hugging Face platform in showcasing those decisions, we invite the community to use this resource to share that information and discuss new related questions as they come up; so we can keep building up Open Source AI with a shared vocabulary and understanding.

What is the purpose of the Open Source AI Definition (OSAID)?

The OSAID outlines the core freedoms that should apply to AI systems to be considered truly Open Source. These include the right to:

• Use the system for any purpose and without having to ask for permission.
• Study how the system works and inspect its components.
• Modify the system for any purpose, including to change its output.
• Share the system for others to use with or without modifications, for any purpose.

What are the benefits of Open Source AI?

Open Source AI offers significant benefits, including enhanced transparency and safety by enabling system audits, mitigating bias, and ensuring accountability in data sources, which accelerates AI safety research. It also fosters competition and innovation by making more models available, challenging AI monoculture, and providing access to foundational technology for a wider range of stakeholders. Additionally, Open Source AI supports the development of diverse, localized applications that reflect different cultural and linguistic contexts, allowing models to be aligned with various value systems.

How can the Hugging Face community participate?

As the largest platform for the AI community, Hugging Face plays a key role in promoting the Open Source principles in the context of AI. We would like to invite both individuals and organizations of the Hugging Face community to review, endorse, and adopt the OSAID, and to discuss OSAI artifacts on this page. This is your chance to take part in a key moment for AI’s future.

As we approach the release of the Open Source AI Definition v. 1.0, your support is fundamental. We encourage you to explore the definition, contribute models that adhere to the OSAID, and engage in discussions around Open Source AI. Together, we can ensure that Open Source AI continues to evolve in ways that are fair, transparent, and accessible to all.