A candid conversation on The Changelog Podcast about defining Open Source AI, and what is really at stake

I was recently invited to join hosts Adam Stacoviak and Jerod Santo on The Changelog podcast. The Changelog features deep technical reviews and conversations about the most recent news in the world of software, and this was the first time anyone from the OSI has appeared on the show. 

After introducing the Open Source Initiative, we discussed the challenges of not only defending the Definition itself, but the idea that we need a Definition at all. And I was able to explain the complicated nature of being a global nonprofit organization defending the Open Source Definition for over 25 years.

I outlined the three programs that comprise the work of the OSI—legal and licensing, policy and standards, and advocacy and outreach—at which time we dove right into the project that falls under the latter program: the Open Source AI Definition.

Open Source AI is not the same as Open Source software. This reality led to the Deep Dive: AI project, now in year 3, in which OSI is collaborating with some of the largest corporations, researchers, creators, foundations and others. 

The Changelog hosts asked a lot of great questions and we had a candid and productive conversation. I hope you’ll follow the link to listen to the full episode: Changelog Interviews: What exactly is Open Source AI?

As I shared with Adam and Jerod, I’m hosting bi-weekly discussions on the status of the project and we’ve put together a forum for public input, so if you are interested in learning more about this or contributing, you are welcome to join us at discuss.opensource.org.