Meta founder argues open-sourcing AI will benefit everyone
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called for an open-source future for generative AI in a new essay. He argues that an open-source ecosystem benefits consumers globally and encourages innovation, indirectly throwing a rhetorical gauntlet at the feet of closed-source developers (and Meta competitors) like OpenAI and Google.
“Meta’s business model is about building the best experiences and services for people,” Zuckerberg wrote. “To do this, we must ensure that we always have access to the best technology, and that we’re not locking into a competitor’s closed ecosystem where they can restrict what we build.”
The principle behind open-source models is that they allow for a collaborative approach to development. Unlike closed-source models, which are restricted to a company’s internal team and its customers, open-source models can be accessed, modified, and improved by anyone. To smartphone owners, the difference can be seen when comparing Apple’s proprietary iOS and Google’s open-source Android operating system. Android is thus available on all kinds of devices, while iOS is limited to Apple devices.
In AI, closed-source models, like those from OpenAI and Google, are typically only available to a company’s customers and offer limited opportunities for modification.
