version 0.0.2
Note: This document is made of three parts: A preamble, stating the intentions of this document; the Definition of Open Source AI itself; a checklist to evaluate licenses.
An AI system is a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments. AI systems are designed to operate with varying levels of autonomy.
The definition of AI adopted by UNESCO https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0449
Preamble
Why we need Open Source Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The decades of Open Source experience have demonstrated that massive benefits accrue to everyone when you remove the barriers to learning, using, sharing and improving software systems. These benefits are the result of using licenses that follow the Open Source Definition. The benefits can be distilled to autonomy, transparency, and collaborative improvement.
Everyone needs these benefits in AI. We essential freedoms to enable users to build and deploy AI systems that are fair, reliable, transparent, trustworthy, secure and safe.
How we can get the benefits of Open Source AI
A precondition for a system to be Open Source software is that developers must have unrestricted access to the “preferred form to make modifications to the work”.
For AI systems, the preferred form to make modifications to the work depends on the specific kind of AI.[Provide an example, based on machine learning?]
Out of scope issues
The Open Source AI Definition doesn’t say how to develop and deploy an AI system that is ethical, trustworthy or responsible, although it doesn’t prevent it. What makes an AI system ethical, responsible or trustworthy is a separate discussion.
What is Open Source AI
To be Open Source, an AI system needs to make its components available under licenses that individually grant the freedoms to:
- Study how the AI system has been built, inspect its components, understand and explain how it comes to its recommendations, predictions or decisions
- Use the system for any purpose without any limitations and without having to ask for permission
- Modify the system to change its recommendations, predictions or decisions to adapt to your needs
- Share the system as modified by you, for any purpose without any limitations
- Verify that the system you’ve received gives the recommendations, predictions or decisions it’s supposed to give
Being Open Source doesn’t mean an AI system will also be safe, secure, trustworthy, explainable and fair but it won’t be an impediment either.[Provide an example, based on machine learning?]
Checklist to evaluate licenses
TODO